Skating

Skating session schedules, descriptions and holiday skating information are below.

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Daily Schedules

Tuesday

10:00am - 11:30am
Adult Skate (Sept 18-May 28)Oak Bay Recreation Centre
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Low Cost Everyone Welcome Skate (Oct 3-Mar 26)Oak Bay Recreation Centre

Thursday

10:00am - 11:30am
Adult Skate (Sept 21-May 16)Oak Bay Recreation Centre

Friday

8:15pm - 9:30pm
Everyone Welcome Stick & Puck Skate (Oct 6-Mar 29) *Oak Bay Recreation Centre

Saturday

7:45pm - 9:00pm
Everyone Welcome Skate (Oct 7-Mar 30)Oak Bay Recreation Centre

Sunday

1:30pm - 2:45pm
Family Skate (Oct 1-Mar 31)Oak Bay Recreation Centre
3:00pm - 4:15pm
Everyone Welcome (Sept 10-Aug 25)Oak Bay Recreation Centre
4:30pm - 5:30pm
Parent & Child Hockey (Oct 1-Mar 31)Oak Bay Recreation Centre

 

 

Public Skating
Skating Session Descriptions

Adult Skate

Skating for ages 18 years and up! Coffee and cookies provided for purchase during the mid-session ice clean break. 

Everyone Welcome    

Skating for all ages.

Everyone Welcome Low Cost $3.50 

What a deal! Anyone can skate! Rentals are $2.25. This offer is only for Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:45pm. 

Everyone Welcome Stick and Puck

Shared ice to practice your skating or hockey skills. Players must bring a stick and wear a helmet and gloves for the Stick and Puck section. Sponge pucks are only $2.00 (deposit required). Goalies and games are not allowed.

Summer Saturdays Stick and Puck

Drop-in to practice your skills.

•    All Participants pay at the front reception till
•    All Participants must wear helmet, hockey gloves, and skates and have their own hockey stick.
•    Participants under 18 must wear a full face shield.
•    No Goalies
•    No Games (stick and puck is for individual skill development)
•    We highly recommend that participants under 12 are accompanied on the ice with a paid adult.
•    No Slap shots 
•    No shooting at side boards
•    No shooting at the net when a fellow participant is retrieving the puck from the net.
•    Hard pucks provided
Have Fun!

Parent and Child Hockey 

Sponge puck hockey with a special area for beginners. Parents must be on the ice with children. Children must wear a helmet. Admission includes one adult and up to two children (6-12 years old) and children's rentals. Sponge pucks only $2 (deposit required).

Over 40, Over 50, Over 60 and Lunchtime Duffer Hockey

Co-ed hockey for players and goalies. 

Pro D Day and Holiday Skates

Pro D Day Skates

1:30-3:00pm

October 20, November 20, 2023

February 16, 2024

Holiday Skates - 1:30-3:00pm

Thanksgiving Day Skate – Monday, October 9, 2023.

Remembrance Day Skate – Monday, November 13, 2023.

Family Day Skate – Monday, February 19, 2024.

Winter Holiday Extra Skates 

1:30-3:00pm
December 27 & 29, 2023 and January 3 & 5, 2024.

Boxing Day Skate

12:30-2:00pm
December 26.

Spring Break Extra Skates  (March 18-29, 2024)

1:30-3:00pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays
March 19, 21, 26 & 28

 

Learn to Skate
About Learn to Skate

Introducing Greater Victoria’s Active Communities Learn to Skate Program at Oak Bay.

Recreation Oak Bay’s Learn to Skate program is for children and teens who want to improve their skating. The Learn to Skate program caters to preschool and school-aged children and teens at any level who are wanting to improve their skating in a fun and motivating way.

The Greater Victoria Active Communities Learn to Skate Program is offered at all seven municipalities of Greater Victoria. The Learn to Skate Program has been streamlined and designed so that any preschool or school-aged child can have their accomplishments transferred from centre to centre. This program is a badge incentive program that emphasizes the importance of comprehensive feedback through report cards. Our Skate Team Leader is on the ice during all lesson times and can answer your questions about lessons and your child’s progress.

The skater-to-instructor ratio on the ice ensures that the skaters will learn and improve their skating skills.

CSA-approved helmets and gloves are mandatory for the lessons. Helmets are available at no charge from the Skate Shop.

Active Communities Learn to Skate program was created as an initiative to standardize the recreational component of learning to skate. 

To register your community, please print off the information form, fill it out and email it to the Learn to Skate Program Representative.

Download Active Communities Learn to Skate Program Materials:

https://www.oakbay.ca/sites/default/files/recreation/documents/shared-LTS-report-image.jpg

Download the Sign Up Sheet

Download the Information Package

Download Program Materials

Download Program Materials

See the Chek news statement on learn to skate:

Preschool Skating Lesson Descriptions

Preschool One

No Prerequisite

This class utilizes a 1:4 instructor-to-participant ratio to ensure that the child builds confidence and has fun on the ice. Participants will be taught basic skating skills, including balancing on two feet, touching toes, walking forward, marching, and falling down and getting up. Parent and Tot is not a prerequisite.

Preschool Two

Prerequisite: Preschool One

This class is for children who can skate independently. Skills include gliding, two-foot jumps, making snow, and walking backwards.

Preschool Three

Prerequisite: Preschool Two

Children will learn skills in this course including v-pushes, one-foot gliding, two-foot jump while gliding, walking backwards with some glide, two-foot quarter turns on the spot, and stopping.

Preschool Four

Prerequisite: Preschool Three

Children will learn skills in this course including two-foot glides on a curve, walking cross cuts, backward sculling, and backward stopping.

Children's Skating Lesson Descriptions

Skate One

No Prerequisite

This class is 30 minutes. This class is for children who do not have a lot of skating experience. It utilizes a 1:5 Instructor-to-participant ratio to ensure that your child builds confidence on the ice. Skills covered are forward gliding, marching forward, making snow, falling down and getting up, and walking backward.

Skate Two

Prerequisite: Skate One

This class is for children who can skate independently. Skills covered: forward sculling, one-foot forward glides, stopping, walking backwards with some glide, and two-foot half turns on the spot.

Skate Three

Prerequisite: PreSchool One or Preschool Four

Children will learn skills including one-foot glides on a curve, forward walking cross cuts, backward skating and sculling, two-foot backward glide to one foot, and snowplow stop.

Skate Four

Prerequisite: Skate Three

Children will learn skills in this course including two-foot stop, forward crosscuts, turning forward to backward and backward to forward, and two-foot jump in a glide backward.

Skate Five

Prerequisite: Skate Four

Children will learn skills in this course including backward Mohawk turn, two-foot stop in both directions, one-foot jump gliding forward, fast backward start and fast forward start from back stop.

Skate Six

Prerequisite: Skate Five

Learn to Skate Six introduces advanced skating skills while continuing to focus on and enhance acquired skills. This class allows participants the opportunity to request specific skills they would like to focus on during unstructured practice time with instructor supervision.

Arena Ice Rentals

Looking to rent the ice at Recreation Oak Bay? To view Arena Ice availability, click on the Arena Calendar.

Current Ice Rental Rates

September 2023-March 2024

Prime time ice (8:00am-12:00am): $278 per hour + GST + Insurance (see insurance details below)

Non-Prime time ice (12:00am-8:00am): $184 per hour + GST + Insurance (see insurance details below)

May-August 2024

Summer (2024) Prime time ice (8:00am-12:00am): $196 per hour + GST + Insurance (see insurance details below)

Summer (2024) Non-Prime time ice (12:00am-8:00am): $121 per hour + GST + Insurance (see insurance details below)

School Skate 2023-2024 (ice rental for an hour and up to 50 skaters, skate rentals, and skate shop staff, insurance included):

COST: $270.00 per hour + GST

  • Please add $53.50 for an additional 50 skaters + GST

Private Family/Party Skate (ice rental for an hour, skate rentals, and skate shop staff, insurance included):

  • For up to 50 skaters $470 per hour + GST
  • Please add $53.50 for an additional 50 skaters + GST

Insurance Requirements

Users wishing to rent the ice arena will need to provide proof of insurance for a minimum of 3 million dollars’ liability, with the District of Oak Bay added under the list of additionally insured.

Insurance Policies are available via :  EventPolicy.ca

Sample policies cost examples:
Adult and Youth Hockey – Non contact – 2hr - $18
Adult and Youth Hockey – Non contact – Full Season/Calendar Year - $172
Adult and Youth Figure Skating – 2hr - $9
Recreation Ice Skating -2hr -$9

 

To rent the ice, please contact:

Caroline Lawrence, Sports Coordinator 250-370-7113

Ben Orr, Sports Programmer 250-370-7114