Free outdoor skating starts in late November.
The City has not announced an official opening day, but its schedule feed lists the first drop-in sessions for Saturday, November 28, 2026. Mel Lastman Square (5100 Yonge St) is the landmark, with skate rentals on site. Otter Creek Centre (140 Cheritan Ave) is the only rink where the City confirms change rooms. Every rink showed "Closed for the Season" on November 1, 2026.
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When the Rinks Open
The City says outdoor artificial ice rinks "typically open in late November and close for the season in March." No 2026-27 opening day has been published, and on November 1, 2026 every North York rink in the City's live status feed read "Closed for the Season."
The City's drop-in schedule data already lists sessions from Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 8 of the 9 sites (Eglinton Park has none posted). Treat that as the target date, not a guarantee: artificial ice still needs several cold days to freeze, and rinks close after heavy snow and on some days above 0 C. Check the City's rink closures page the morning you go.
Plan for November 28; confirm the morning of.— North York Guide
The 9 North York Rinks
These are every City-run outdoor artificial-ice site in the North York Community Council area north of Eglinton, plus Eglinton Park at Yonge and Eglinton, which we cover. The Hodgson Public School rink (276 Davisville Ave) sits just south of our area and is not listed. Pad sizes, boards and lighting come from the City's Outdoor Artificial Ice Rinks open-data set.
| Rink | Address (map) | Ice | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Lastman Square Yonge and Sheppard | 5100 Yonge St | 1 pad, 132 x 58 ft, no boards, lit | Skate rentals on site (City). Beside North York Centre subway station. |
| Otter Creek Centre Avenue Rd and Lawrence Ave W | 140 Cheritan Ave | 2 pads (180 x 120 ft boarded pad plus a second pad), lit | Change-room building: leisure skate room, men's and women's change rooms and washrooms, parking. |
| Eglinton Park (North Toronto Memorial Community Centre) Yonge and Eglinton | 200 Eglinton Ave W | 2 pads (180 x 135 ft boarded pad plus a second pad), lit | Underground parking at the community centre; washrooms in the park. Short walk from Eglinton station. |
| Pleasantview Rink (Van Horne Park) Finch Ave E and Victoria Park Ave | 561 Van Horne Ave | 1 pad, 185 x 85 ft, no boards listed, lit | Pleasantview Community Centre is at the east end of the park; rink facilities are not confirmed by the City. |
| Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Park skating trail McMahon Dr and Esther Shiner Blvd | 80 McMahon Dr | Skating trail (not a rink), lit | Park trail loop; no change rooms confirmed by the City. |
| Broadlands Community Centre Don Valley Pkwy and Lawrence Ave E | 19 Castlegrove Blvd | 1 pad, 185 x 85 ft, boarded, lit | Fully accessible centre. Change rooms not confirmed by the City. |
| Glen Long Community Centre Lawrence Ave W and Dufferin St | 35 Glen Long Ave | 1 pad, 185 x 85 ft, boarded, lit | Partially accessible centre. Change rooms not confirmed by the City. |
| Irving W. Chapley Community Centre Wilmington Ave and Kennard Ave | 205 Wilmington Ave | 1 pad, 185 x 85 ft, boarded, lit | Fully accessible centre. Leisure skate inquiries: 416-395-7880. |
| Ledbury Park Bathurst St and Lawrence Ave W | 160 Ledbury St | 1 pad, listed 289 x 49 ft, boarded, lit | Park also has an outdoor pool in summer. Change rooms not confirmed by the City. |
Hours and Shinny, Rink by Rink
These patterns come from the first two weeks of sessions the City has posted (November 28 to December 10, 2026) and will change through the season. Every pad is listed as lit. Confirm on the City's skating page before heading out.
1. Mel Lastman Square
5100 Yonge St (Yonge and Sheppard).
Unsupervised leisure skate daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
2. Otter Creek Centre
140 Cheritan Ave (Avenue Rd and Lawrence Ave W).
Leisure skate daily, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; the most shinny of any North York rink (adult, child, youth, women's, girls).
3. Eglinton Park (North Toronto Memorial Community Centre)
200 Eglinton Ave W (Yonge and Eglinton).
No drop-in sessions posted in the City feed as of Nov 1, 2026. Check the City location page before you go.
4. Pleasantview Rink (Van Horne Park)
561 Van Horne Ave (Finch Ave E and Victoria Park Ave).
Unsupervised leisure skate daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
5. Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Park skating trail
80 McMahon Dr (McMahon Dr and Esther Shiner Blvd).
Unsupervised leisure skate daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
6. Broadlands Community Centre
19 Castlegrove Blvd (Don Valley Pkwy and Lawrence Ave E).
Weekday morning leisure blocks, shinny for every age group, women's shinny and a figure-skating session; Sunday 7:15 to 9 a.m. and 8:30 to 10 p.m. leisure.
7. Glen Long Community Centre
35 Glen Long Ave (Lawrence Ave W and Dufferin St).
Supervised leisure skate Sat and Sun, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekday morning, afternoon and evening leisure blocks; adult, youth and child shinny.
8. Irving W. Chapley Community Centre
205 Wilmington Ave (Wilmington Ave and Kennard Ave).
Leisure skate Sat 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and Sun noon to 2:15 p.m.; child-with-caregiver skate (ages 1 to 5); weekday mornings; adult, youth and child shinny.
9. Ledbury Park
160 Ledbury St (Bathurst St and Lawrence Ave W).
Weekdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends split into morning, afternoon and evening blocks.
Before You Go
- Skates are required for everyone on the ice, and most programs (shinny especially) require a helmet.
- Drop-in is free. The City charges nothing for leisure skate or shinny at outdoor rinks.
- Need skates? Mel Lastman Square has rentals on site. The City's Skate Lending Library covers the rest.
- Check status first. The closures page lists rinks shut for snow, mild weather or maintenance; call 311 if unsure.
- Getting there. Mel Lastman Square is beside North York Centre subway station; Eglinton Park is a short walk from Eglinton station. For the others, plan your route on ttc.ca.
Natural ice and indoor options
The City also supports volunteer-built natural ice rinks; it said approved rinks open late November or early December, and the list is not published yet. For guaranteed ice regardless of weather, use indoor arena public skating: see our skating times page, rebuilt daily from the City's open data.
Hero photo: Kelli McClintock on Unsplash, cropped. A general skating photo, not one of the rinks listed.