More than 1,000 sign petition to save skating on Palgrave Pond

Petition started after Town and TRCA announced skating on pond was no longer allowed

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Caledon residents are rallying to save the tradition of skating on Palgrave Pond. 

An online petition has been started in support of skating on the pond and, so far, 1,500 people have signed it. The petition can be found at the following link: https://chng.it/c5J9VnKj4q

In December, members of the volunteer group Palgrave Pond Community Inc. (PPCI) were told by Town of Caledon staff that skating would no longer be allowed on the Palgrave Pond and that they could no longer maintain the pond for skating. 

The Town of Caledon made the decision to ban skating alongside the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), which owns the pond.

Under the leadership of Ken Hunt, a Palgrave resident known as the “Ice Angel”, the Palgrave Pond has been diligently maintained for public use for the last 25 years. Each year, many Caledon residents come out to enjoy playing hockey on the pond or skating the skating trail. 

The online petition to save skating on the pond was started by Nicole Wilkins, secretary of PPCI.

She said skating on Palgrave Pond can be done safely under the PPCI's extensive safety procedures.

“While climate has meant the opportunity for skating has been reduced, it has not changed the safety procedures, so when the ice is open, it is just as safe as it always has been, and when it's less safe, the rinks are closed — something the community has always respected,” reads a document prepared by Wilkins in response to the TRCA and Town of Caledon's decision. 

In a December email to the Citizen, Caledon's Commissioner of Community and Human Services Catherine McLean said changing climate, reducing ice cover and inconsistent temperatures means that the pond ice is unstable and risky in more spots every winter.

In a December email to the Citizen, TRCA Director of Development and Engineering Services Sameer Dhalla said a changing climate and inconsistent temperatures pose an increased risk to anyone utilizing the Palgrave Pond for skating.