Extra staff has been called in to clear snow over the holidays so Red Deerians and their families can enjoy City trails and skating rinks during Christmas.

Additional staff and contractors have been scheduled to work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day to plow the Waskasoo Park river valley trail system and to clear the following outdoor ice surfaces:

Bower Ponds – skating pond (5220 Taylor Dr.); Bower – hockey rink (85 Boyce St.); Clearview Meadows (93 Cornett Dr.); Eastview Estates (120 Ellenwood Dr.); Grandview (4145 46 St.); Highland Green (65 Halladay Ave.); Lonsdale (26 Lawford Ave.); Morrisroe – Annie L Gaetz (5 McIntosh Ave.); Mountview (4331 34 St.); Normandeau (5707 71 St.); Oriole Park (5 Ogden Ave.); Riverside Meadows (6021 57 Ave.); Rosedale (2 Roland St.) and West Park (3310 55 St.)

All other rinks will recommence operations on Dec. 28th.

Citizens who choose to shovel their neighbourhood rink are asked to avoid piling snow along the rink boards because it is very difficult for crews to remove. Instead, please run half-ice (piling snow in the center of the other half), push snow off of the ice surface altogether, or throw it over the boards.

Also, the City has an amazing network of cross country ski trails maintained by volunteers. Citizens are reminded to avoid walking in the ski tracks out of courtesy to volunteer efforts.

For more information on skating rinks and cross country trails, visit www.reddeer.ca.

-Weber