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- 2002-10-07
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Hired Zamboni drivers are actively working the grounds at Parliament Hill for the first time in Canadian history.
“It’s something you’d never think you’d see or experience in Ottawa,” said Travis O’Donnell, one of the Zamboni drivers who took on the job.
O’Donnell’s gig on the Hill is part of Canadian Heritage’s Canada 150 Ice Rink. Along with free public skating — pre-registration is required — the heritage ministry’s $5.6-million project will also include a tournament for 32 peewee house league hockey teams from across the country and an NHL alumni game.
O’Donnell arrived to work at 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning to shovel snow and flood the ice before the first visitors laced up their skates. After a busy weekend, the freshly flooded ice was gleaming by 10 a.m., which is when the skating rink opens daily to the public.
“You can drive in a facility for years and just see the same four walls around you,” O’Donell said. “Here, just seeing the people’s faces, the kids smiling, the parents and grandparents around you with cameras; it’s definitely a holiday spirit.
O’Donnell is responsible for pouring water on the ice, clearing snow and generally maintaining the grounds. Fulfilling his regular job duties against the backdrop of the iconic Peace Tower makes for a once-in-a-lifetime work experience, he said.
O’Donnell is not new to the industry. Born and raised in Ottawa, O’Donnell played youth hockey as a goalie, where he got his first break as a net pusher. As a former netminder and a fan of the Ottawa Senators, O’Donnell said his favourite player is goalie Craig Anderson.
Building on years of hard work, on and off the ice, O’Donnell was recruited to join the 15-member team of Zamboni drivers based on his qualifications working full-time as an operator for about five years.
Looking back to his inaugural shift two weeks ago, O’Donnell said his first eight hours on the clock were spent sucking water off the ice when temperatures were well above the melting point. O’Donnell pointed out some new challenges that come with working outdoors: the weather, the temperatures and the lighting.
Since the early phases of developing the rink, the grounds team has dealt with rain, freezing rain and snow. Mercury levels climbed up to 12 C at one point, according to the site crew. Monday was the coldest day of the season so far.
The ice at the rink on the Hill is “light years ahead of the ice on the canal,” said Matt Young, a father who took his two young hockey-playing children for a skate on Monday.
Members of the public can book reservations 48-hours in advance, at no cost.
Organizers are not in the business of turning anybody down, said Randy Watt, the director of operations from Bell Sensplex, who oversees the grounds. If people show up without reserved tickets, Watt said the site crew will try to accommodate, if the rink is not at capacity.
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“It’s something you’d never think you’d see or experience in Ottawa,” said Travis O’Donnell, one of the Zamboni drivers who took on the job.
O’Donnell’s gig on the Hill is part of Canadian Heritage’s Canada 150 Ice Rink. Along with free public skating — pre-registration is required — the heritage ministry’s $5.6-million project will also include a tournament for 32 peewee house league hockey teams from across the country and an NHL alumni game.
O’Donnell arrived to work at 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning to shovel snow and flood the ice before the first visitors laced up their skates. After a busy weekend, the freshly flooded ice was gleaming by 10 a.m., which is when the skating rink opens daily to the public.
“You can drive in a facility for years and just see the same four walls around you,” O’Donell said. “Here, just seeing the people’s faces, the kids smiling, the parents and grandparents around you with cameras; it’s definitely a holiday spirit.
O’Donnell is responsible for pouring water on the ice, clearing snow and generally maintaining the grounds. Fulfilling his regular job duties against the backdrop of the iconic Peace Tower makes for a once-in-a-lifetime work experience, he said.
O’Donnell is not new to the industry. Born and raised in Ottawa, O’Donnell played youth hockey as a goalie, where he got his first break as a net pusher. As a former netminder and a fan of the Ottawa Senators, O’Donnell said his favourite player is goalie Craig Anderson.
Building on years of hard work, on and off the ice, O’Donnell was recruited to join the 15-member team of Zamboni drivers based on his qualifications working full-time as an operator for about five years.
Looking back to his inaugural shift two weeks ago, O’Donnell said his first eight hours on the clock were spent sucking water off the ice when temperatures were well above the melting point. O’Donnell pointed out some new challenges that come with working outdoors: the weather, the temperatures and the lighting.
Since the early phases of developing the rink, the grounds team has dealt with rain, freezing rain and snow. Mercury levels climbed up to 12 C at one point, according to the site crew. Monday was the coldest day of the season so far.
The ice at the rink on the Hill is “light years ahead of the ice on the canal,” said Matt Young, a father who took his two young hockey-playing children for a skate on Monday.
Members of the public can book reservations 48-hours in advance, at no cost.
Organizers are not in the business of turning anybody down, said Randy Watt, the director of operations from Bell Sensplex, who oversees the grounds. If people show up without reserved tickets, Watt said the site crew will try to accommodate, if the rink is not at capacity.
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