Ontario Speed Skating Oval
P.O. Box 1179, 2 Queen Street K0L 2H0 Lakefield, ON, Canada

UPDATE 6 March: Free public skating this weekend at the Oval! FINAL WEEKEND ***12:00 to 6:00 p.m.*** We are happy to announce that the continuing colder weather has allowed us to stay open this weekend! PLEASE NOTE, however, that the ice is not in perfect mid-season shape. There are some thin and some slushy areas. If you're coming out to the Oval this final weekend, please SKATE WITH CAUTION.... NOTEWORTHY: In past years the Oval has been forced to close on the last weekend of February, so we are pleased to be open on this first weekend of March! A MUST: Please review and observe the Oval's Covid-19 protocols: Self-screening: https://bit.ly/38cUR1o Protocols: https://bit.ly/2Ox0yjM Enjoy your skate, folks. Stay well.

UPDATE 4 March: The Oval is OPEN until further notice. NOTE: ***Beware of rough patches.*** As temperatures fluctuate at this time of the year, we are taking it day by day. Check regularly for updates. ... Before coming out, please review the Oval's Covid-19 protocols: https://bit.ly/2Ox0yjM And complete the Self-Screening Tool: https://bit.ly/38cUR1o Enjoy your skate, folks. Stay well.

UPDATE 3 March: The Oval is CLOSED until further notice. The weather conditions have made the ice slushy. We'll continue to monitor conditions and keep you up to date. Stay well.

UPDATE 1 March: The Oval is OPEN until further notice! As temperatures fluctuate at this time of the year, we are taking it day by day. Right now, it looks good for the next several days. Check regularly for updates. Enjoy your skate, folks! Stay well.

Candlelight Skate Round 2 was a phenomenal success! * FULL MOON! * 3 sessions! * 225 skaters! * Lots of smiling faces!... THANK YOU to everyone who came out! THANK YOU to ALL who have supported the Oval this season!

Still need more snow to pack the track before we can add water. Let it snow... Stay tuned. Stay safe.

Sunday, Dec 27th, 2020. More track preparation today. We packed the small amount of snow that fell last night and cut back the small bushes that have grown through the track. Hoping for more snow and colder temperatures.

UPDATE: Today we started the first day of preparing the Oval for skating for the winter 2021 season. The colder weather this past week frosted the ground sufficiently to allow us to pack the snow that fell last night. HOW: The first packing is done by driving around the track. As we pack the snow, we also remove the rocks and bushes that have grown over the summer. All wet spots have to freeze solid before we start flooding; otherwise, the water we apply will flow through th...e track base instead of freezing and create ruts, which will be a source of unevenness for the entire season. NEXT: We need some colder nights and, ideally, some more snow to pack on top of today's base layer before we can begin flooding. Stay tuned for updates. Stay well.

Feb. 23 Update OPEN today. Speed skate rentals available noon to 3 pm. What a beautiful day for a skate!

Today was a perfect day for a skate indeed. Thanks for sharing, Robert!

Friday, Feb 21st Ice is in good condition this morning - there will be skating this weekend for as long as the ice withstands the effects of the warm, sunny weather. Please Note: As the temperature rises, it is impossible to improve the ice conditions by either scraping or flooding. So, we have weather conditions that are perfect for outdoor skating but not very good for outdoor ice. If the rising temperatures cause the ice to become unsafe over the weekend, we will have to close the Oval until the colder weather returns. For now, the Oval is OPEN and will remain open until we post otherwise - so happy skating!

Thursday, Feb 20th This morning the light snow has been cleared and the Oval has been scraped and flooded - the ice is in great condition - Happy Skating!!

Here's something to do with the kids today--burn some energy, have fun, feel good, #familytime #friends Note: rental skates are NOT available today.

Wednesday, Feb 19th The Oval has been scraped and flooded this morning and is open again for skating!

Tuesday, Feb 18th After a long weekend of outstanding weather and lots of people enjoying skating at the Oval, we are faced with a day of snow and rain. Today we need people (and their dogs) to stay away from the Oval. The Oval is closed today so please do not walk on the ice. Thanks!

Heres something to do with the kids today--burn some energy, have fun, feel good, #familytime #friends Note: rental skates are NOT available today.

An 8-year-old skating at the Oval yesterday for the first time, after 8 laps, said, "This is GREAT!" (He did not want to come off the ice). What say you? Similar experience?

Friday, Feb 14th It was a cold morning to be flooding for both the equipment and the volunteers but the result is very good ice - public skaters are welcome to enjoy the ice for the rest of the day and this evening there will be great ice for the Candlelight skaters - Bundle UP!!

Feb. 14. Skating from 5:30 to 7:30. Adults only. $10 each. Speed skates available to try. For details about the dinner option afterward, see our Event post. The restaurant is now accepting reservations from 8 pm onward.

Thursday, Feb 13th The colder weather has returned allowing the Oval to host 2 school groups today - The ice is in great shape. The Oval will also be open today after 3 oclock for Public Skating.... The return of the cold weather also means that the Adults Candlelight Skate will happen on Friday evening and there will be good ice for the scheduled Public Skating times on Saturday and Sunday afternoons!

Plan ahead. Get a sitter. Grab some friends. Feb 14. Two options: 1) Skating between 5:30 and 7:30 pm. 2) Skate and then Dinner at Hunter Street Tavern. Please contact Hunter Street Tavern directly for reservations starting at 7:30 pm and onward. 705-775-2033 or [email protected]

Dreams came true today! Finally drivn that Zamboni machine. Thanks to all who came out to realize their dream. A fun bunch of Zamboni-ers whose scraping talents served to make some pretty good ice for todays skate. A little flood at the end made the ice a work of art! Enjoy your skate!

Thursday, February 6th at Noon The Oval is open again for skating - this morning the ice was cleared, scraped & flooded before it started snowing again. The next scheduled clearing of the ice will be tomorrow morning at 9 am. Looking forward to seeing the people who want to drive the Zamboni on Saturday between 10 am and noon. The forecast is for a clear but cold day so bundle up - the Zamboni is definitely a cool ride!!!

ZAMBONI DAY You want to do it, dont ya! Nows your chance! 10:00 am to Noon, SATURDAY, Feb. 8, 2020. $20 -- (must have a drivers licence)... This chance comes but once a year. (What would YOU write for the next line?)

PHENOMENAL TURNOUT at last nights Candlelight Skate! Hundreds of people experienced skating on the 400-metre outdoor track, many for the first time. Enthusiasts can get back out there today! The ice will be ready for skating at NOON (Ty ice crew!). Speed skate rentals ($5) are available from 12 pm to 3 pm. Have fun!

Definition of Canadian (limited): SNOW, ICE, SKATING, MOOSE, and BEAVER. Moose and beavers may not show up tonight, but all the other ingredients of Canadiana are coming together at the Oval at nightfall! 5 pm to 9 pm. Be there! BE CANADIAN! (Note: Polarfest posts indicate 6 pm start, but our ice crew will have things ready to go at 5 pm.)

Wednesday, Jan 29th. at 1:00 pm We are happy to announce that the ice has been repaired and the Oval is again open for skating - enjoy!

Tuesday, Jan 28th Unfortunately the re-opening of the Oval will be delayed by another day because the volunteers will have to spend extra time today scraping off and filling all the footprints left in the ice by the people who decided it was a good idea to go for a walk on the Oval during the recent warm spell - too bad - we hope to have the ice ready for skating by tomorrow afternoon.

Great winter view of the Oval. We will be working hard this week to get the ice ready for Saturday nights Candlelight skate. Thanks, Kevin for the great aerial images of the Oval!

See the winter schedule for skating days and times. Keep in mind, all dates are subject to weather conditions. The ice crew regularly monitors the ice conditions, and we will post updates on this site throughout the season. Feel free to post your pictures! http://ontariospeedskatingoval.com/?page_id=41

Update Sunday, Jan. 19: Oval is OPEN today. Recreational skating noon to 3 p.m.

UPDATE FRIDAY, Jan 17th - the crazy weather over the past couple of weeks did not stop the Ice Crew from working to get the ice ready. We had the Zamboni out today scraping the surface, but there are still some rough patches - so please be careful! BEST NEWS: THE ICE IS GOOD FOR THE START OF THE SEASON! SUNDAY: The snow expected for Saturday and Sunday will be cleared on Sunday morning, so plan on coming out for a regular Sunday recreational skate, noon to 3 pm. ... OY: Unfortunately the plexi-glass windows in the warm-up hut were broken during the summer and it will take another week before they are replaced. However, you can still use the hut for lacing up. Go. Skate. Have fun out there!

Weather Delay - Weve started some base preparation on the track at the Oval, but, unfortunately, we cannot start flooding until there is a longer stretch of colder weather. Stay tuned for progress updates.

Another Lakefield 5K in the books! With over 200 participants joining us for the annual twilight river run this past Saturday evening, the 2019 event was a gre...at time! Thank you to all of our wonderful participants, sponsors and volunteers for making the event possible. We have a great time helping plan and bring this great community event together while raising funds for Friends Peterborough and the Ontario Speed Skating Oval. Big thank you again to all of the sponsors: RBC, Darling Insurance, ISL Insurance, Adventure Outfitters, Kingdon Timber Mart, Gastle and Associates, Paul Carter - Sun Life, Lakefield Herald, Hunter Street Tavern, Stu & Roberta Hubble / Lakefield Tim Hortons, Lakefield Dentistry, IDA Pharmacy, Arteri, Jennie MacKenzie - Lakefield Pantry, Blacks Distillery, Trinkets and Treasures, The Village Inn of Lakefield, Kawartha Dairy, Foodland, Your Body You - Mobile or Virtual personal trainer, Triple T Holdings Inc, Jay & Rees Hamblin - Sales Reps, Ball Real Estate, and Runners Life ! See ya next year!

Best turnout ever! - thanks to the participants, sponsors and volunteers. Great setting and the weather was just right! Thanks to everyone - this event helps make our skating season possible!

The skating season at the Oval is now over - thanks to all the people who made this a great season despite the challenging weather. Plans are already in place to co-host the Lakefield 5K Run and Walk, which will take place this year on May 11th. Once again the event will take place in the early evening which gives us an opportunity to light our candles for another fun event. ... The Lakefield 5K is one of the main ways that the Oval group raises money to support the effort to provide great ice each winter - so please participate and register on the event web site and if you would be willing to help us as an event sponsor please email the Oval directly. Thanks again for a great skating season and see everyone again next year!!

Oval is Closed - please stay off the ice - the weather will determine if we are going to enjoy any more skating this year.

An update from Jack at the Oval: Hey March 8th and skating on the Lakefield oval. Not as smooth as Lake Placid but LP is a refrigerated 400m Oval. Lakefield Oval is 400m oval made with a little snow, water, cold weather and of course the hard work of volunteers. Great 15km Skate. Tomorrow will probably be the last day, skates rentals on Saturday, 12-3