Since August 2017, Place Bell has been offering up a multitude of activities for the citizens in and around Laval. With three ice rinks, a food court, a pro shop, a public walkway and many events and performances, Place Bell has quickly become a popular spot.

Over the next year, the CEO of Place Bell, Christiane Hémond, says the objective is to help the community get to know the various services offered at Place Bell a little better, particularly the community ice rinks.

The arenas are open all year long, except in cases of required maintenance. In the first seven months of operation, almost 120,000 people visited Place Bell, not only for activities and shows, but also to access the public walkway, parking and other activities that aren’t as well known to the public yet. Hémond says the response was very positive during the first few months and she looks forward to continued success this year.

Citizens, athletes and volunteers have all shared positive feedback when it comes to the community rinks, which they consider to be of professional quality, ideal for athletic training. Plus, they appreciate the access to training and having fun. The Ville de Laval also makes the ice rinks available to associations and clubs for training or other activities during the fall-winter season – the most popular time of year.

During this first year of operation, several competitions in figure skating, short track speed skating – including at a national level, – ringette tournaments and other events of the kind have allowed citizens to attend major competitions and take advantage of these new rink.

Discovering the community ice rinks
The training ice rink at Place Bell has been specifically designed to meet the needs of athletes of all ages. In fact, it provides the general public with an NHL-sized ice rink equipped with stands that can accommodate nearly 500 spectators. The adult league skaters will find all the advantages of a high-end arena.

In the heart of Place Bell there is also an Olympic-sized ice rink, which can accommodate up to 2,500 spectators. This second community ice rink has all the qualities of a state-of-the-art training centre that responds to the needs of athletes of all levels. It gives access to a training site without bands and is surrounded by protective cushions for the practice of short track speed skating. It is a natural fit for figure skating enthusiasts, as well.

Located in the heart of downtown Laval, Place Bell offers various free skating hours to accommodate the citizens of Laval and – above all – skating enthusiasts, all year long. The community sector opens its doors to those who want to get moving and have a healthy lifestyle at heart. For more details and information visit placebell.ca/en.

Translated by Maria Barillaro