Residents in Okotoks might be waiting a bit for the majority of the outdoor rinks to open.

In total, the Town plans to have eight outdoor rinks set up this winter.

Darcy Finlay, Irrigation Technician for the Town of Okotoks, says there's a specific temperature they want to see stay consistent before they start to set up.

"We want to see that temperature stay around that -10 level both through the daytime and and through the night, not much more than above -3 or it seems to be a much slower process to get it frozen up."

Work started on the rinks in Cedar Grove, Ardiel Park, and Suntree last week.

Finlay says a majority of the preparation for the rinks happened in the fall.

"Some of the fall preparations are getting the lawn mowed up and getting a low cut on the grass so we can get the flood down. We do put some liners on those areas so that we can maintain that water without it all seeping into the ground, then we'll go around and do a little bit of work around the edges to create a bit of a retention wall around the perimeter of the arena."

He adds he hopes to see some of the rinks open by Christmas.

The outdoor rinks are free to use and CSA-approved helmets must be worn when hockey sticks are in hand.

For a full list of outdoor rink locations in Okotoks click here.

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