Skaters, hockey players, and frozen surface enthusiasts will be happy now that the rinks are open in Swift Current.

With a headstart thanks to the early onset of the cold this year, the City of Swift Current has announced that the public can now make use of the various rinks across town.

The man responsible for ensuring even flood and freeze for the outdoor and public rinks is the Park Manager for the City of Swift Current, Michael Newell. 

"It was great once the weather started cooperating with us," detailed Newell. "We had some cold, clear days where we weren't getting snow and having to clear that, we were able to really start getting floods. We had our full-time staff coming in during the day, and seasonal staff coming in during the night to flood."

Today's openings include the following locations. 

    -Highland Rink
    -North Hill Rink
    -Sheldon Kennedy Rink
    -Southside Rink
    -Westside Rink

Starting today, the regular public schedule kicks off for the season at 4 p.m. Rinks will be open until 9 p.m. tonight. For the weekend they open and close at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

There is one rink still being finished up, over in Riverdene Park. That rink is being prepped for 'Crokicurl', which means they need extra time to do the paintwork. It should be open by Christmas break or early January at the latest.

You can see the schedule on the City's website here.