Backyard skating rinks endangered by warmer winters

The Canadian tradition of backyard ice rinks is in danger as the climate warms.

This is according to Rink Watch, whichis run out of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario. Ittracks the number of skating days on backyard rinks across the countryas a way to study at how the climate is changing.

"It's been an awful winter for backyard rinks right across the country," Rink Watch'sRobertMcLemantold CBC Radio'sMaritime Noon.

"It's just been up and down, up and down, freeze, thaw all winter long. It's been a very frustrating year for people who are into outdoor skating."

Manyhave given into that frustration and stopped trying to maintain their rinks,simply letting them melt away.

"It's an awful lot of work, it's a real labour of love and you have to have a lot of cold days in a row to make a good skating surface," said McLeman.

This winter has been exceptionally warm due to the double impact of ElNinoand climatechange, said McLeman.This season is also a previewof what winter will be like in 75 or 85 years from now, he said.

"It's one of those things where we'll still get winters, we just won't get the types of winters that are conducive to having a lot of fun," he said. "Snowmobiling, skating, cross-country skiing, so we're getting winter without the good bits of it."

However, not everyone is getting out of rink-building due towarm weather, saidMcLeman, noting most rinks are usually linked to children in a household.

If children grow out of skating on thebackyard rink it's unlikely their parentscontinue to build one.