Ted Reeve Community Arena will keep main rink ice year‑round, board says

The Ted Reeve Community Arena Board voted 5-4 to uphold its December decision to keep ice in the main rink through spring and summer and has issued a statement explaining a shift to a Hybrid Operational Model with one year‑round ice surface and one dedicated dry floor from May to August.

The arena board voted 5-4 on Jan. 13 to uphold its Dec. 2 decision to keep ice in the main rink during the late spring and summer months. The board chair released a media statement saying the facility will adopt a Hybrid Operational Model for 2026 with one ice surface year‑round and one dry floor from May to August. The decision follows earlier planning by the board and comes after community concern, a petition from the Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club and public comments at the Jan. 13 meeting. The board described the change as intended to meet diverse recreational needs and to address longstanding financial and access issues. What we know: - The Dec. 2 decision to keep summer ice on the main pad was originally approved 6-1; a Jan. 13 motion to rescind that decision was defeated 5-4. - The Hybrid Operational Model for 2026 designates the main rink as year‑round ice and the Ted Reeve Bubble as a dedicated dry‑floor facility from May to August. - The Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club, which has used the main rink and the Bubble for about three decades, launched a petition and expressed disappointment; the club said it is working with city staff and permit officers to secure suitable venues for some teams. Jr. A Lacrosse announced it will play at Scarborough Arena Gardens. - The board cited facility data showing high summer ice demand (ice prime time averaging over 96% utilization) and reported a 2024 dry‑floor loss of approximately $120,000 as part of its rationale. - The board said the Hybrid Model aims to improve equitable multi‑sport access, correct past cross‑subsidization between ice and dry‑floor users, and protect the facility’s long‑term state of good repair. Summary: The board framed the change as a data‑driven effort to balance fiscal responsibility, equitable access and long‑term facility sustainability while preserving summer priority use of the Bubble for lacrosse. Implementation is described as the Hybrid Operational Model for 2026; Beaches‑East York Councillor Brad Bradford said he remains concerned about the process and is working with city staff, and the Toronto Beaches Lacrosse Club is seeking alternative local venues for some 2026 activities.