The temporary outdoor ice hockey rink, built by Henry Knelsen and his team from Handy Henry in Simcoe, has been busy this winter. On the left, Richard Neudorf winds up for a slap shot Sunday evening, and on the right, new hockey player Marc Anthony Atton, takes a shot on net.
By Chris Abbott
The temporary outdoor ice rink on Norfolk Street South across from Handy Henry has given the community an opportunity to skate, play some hockey shinny, and enjoy the outdoors once again this winter.
And the community has been loving it, said Richard Neudorf, originally from Langton, now living in Simcoe, who helped Henry Knelsen and his team install the ice in January 2025.
Knelsen, a local concrete contractor who owns Handy Henry in Simcoe, first built the temporary outdoor ice rink two years ago on the parking lot property they lease across the street. From that shortened ice experience in Feb. 2023, they have learned about making outdoor ice – and perfected their cleaning and new flooding techniques.
“It’s just a great way to get the community together, that’s what everyone’s been saying,” said Neudorf.
“I try to talk to everyone who comes on the ice, especially today (Feb. 9). They stop by for a couple minutes, some coming home from work, some just enjoying the day with their family – I’ve been seeing a lot of families coming out, teaching their kids how to skate. It’s free, there’s parking… it’s a come-and-go kind of thing.
“It’s been very, very good with the community, a lot of community respect,” said Neudorf, noting hockey players and skaters have been respectful on the ice. “The community does a good job keeping it an open environment, so if someone is here to just skate with their kids, there aren’t sticks and pucks flying around.”
“The nice thing is, because the ice is so big, even if there is a group playing hockey at that net, you can have the whole other half of the ice for people skating,” said Kyle Kuzniar from Langton. “As long as they’re being diligent.”
It is “use at your own risk” ice.
“They definitely split up the ice a lot,” Neudorf nodded. “A lot of days you’ll just see some people shooting around here, and no pucks over there.”
With temperatures plummeting to -10 C, and some nights even colder, the ice has been in ‘mint’ condition.
“Maintenance has made a big difference,” said Neudorf. “When you’re flooding the ice, it fills all those little cracks and divots, so it makes the ice a lot smoother. Also, the lights are a new addition this year. And we’ve got these (curb-height) boards up this year.
“After a couple of years doing it, we said ‘this is what we want to do to make it a little bit better.’ So honestly, I just think that the biggest difference has just been learning. Trial and error, then just keep going and going… but the flooding definitely makes it really nice.
“And having some local legends helping to shovel it off. There were some kids helping me out here when there was about a foot of snow on the ice.”
Neudorf was looking forward to offering free skating lessons on Wednesday, Feb. 12 (5 p.m.) and if cold temperatures continue – and if there is interest – he might offer a future date.
“I think we’re going to keep going into March, especially since it’s starting to get colder now. I would say it’s going to go into early or mid-March.”
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