Skaters wanted at Edmonton Downtown Community Arena

The gleaming ice of the new Edmonton Downtown Community Arena is missing something — public skaters.

The city-run rink is tucked around the back of the new Rogers Place arena downtown.

The arena boasts seating for 1,000 spectators, five dressing rooms with showers, and direct access to the MacEwan LRT station.

Since opening in September, the arena has been used by groups such as the Edmonton Oilers, the Edmonton Oil Kings and the MacEwan Griffins Hockey Team.

But Brett Prosser admits the new Downtown Community Arena needs to attract more members of the public.

"Six of the seven days a week there's public programming and it's free of charge," said the City of Edmonton sport programmer.

Prosser points to a "unique selling feature of the arena," the more than 80 pairs of skates and helmets people can borrow for free during shinny and public-skating hours.

Despite that, attendance has been low.

In October, an average of 17 people attended Thursday public-skating hours, and only 36 on Saturday.

Attendance picked up in November with an average of 37 skaters in Thursdays, and 50 on Saturdays.

While the numbers fall far short of public-skate attendance at other City of Edmonton facilities like The Meadows, Terwillegar and Clareview, Prosser expects attendance to take off once people begin checking out the space.

It has a wow factor and people are impressed with how bright it is, he said.

"It's a very beautiful arena."

Sydney Thomlison is sold on the new space.

"It's so awesome to have the rink so close to school. The girls can just walk on over after school, come from the train," said the captain of the MacEwan Griffins women's hockey team. "It's so awesome to have everything in such close proximity."

Before the arena opened in September, the Griffins were bouncing around to different community arenas throughout the city.

"It's amazing to finally have a place to call our own home and I really think it's going to help grow our program in the future," she said.

You can see more from the Edmonton Downtown Community Arena on Our Edmonton on Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at 11 a.m. and Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV.