Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Regina, Saskatchewan: Mount Pleasant Oval

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Clarence Downey Oval

Canada cup II, January 1999	Sunday afternoon at the oval - club skaters and public skaters	View of the south end of the oval

The Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval is located in southwest Saskatoon within the Gordie Howe Complex. The main gate at Avenue R and Dudley Street (1 block south of 11th St. W.) opens to a large gravel parking lot that is wheelchair accessible. City owned and maintained, the facility boasts a very large lobby area with windows facing the 400m ice surface.

The 400m natural ice oval is prepared each year by the City of Saskatoon and coordinated with a volunteer base from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. Flooding begins when the ground begins to freeze, usually mid-November. Many laborious hours of hauling a 4" hose around the track are required to establish a base. After a sufficient base has been established, flooding moves from the hose to a truck and tank. The ice is groomed with a zamboni to prepare the surface for a crew of volunteers that install the lines for Olympic Style skating and Mass Start. The ice is generally ready for use by Dec 10, although this depends on the weather.

The ice is maintained throughout the skating season by the City of Saskatoon and is one of the best natural ice surfaces in Western Canada. The oval is open to the public at no charge on Saturday and Sunday (10am - 6pm) and Monday - Thursday (2pm - 8pm). The Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club practices most evenings in cooperation with public skating. The oval is closed to public skating on Fridays and during competitions. Groups may reserve the use of the oval by calling the City of Saskatoon Allocations Office. The Oval closes for the season in February (usually the third week).

The Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club has hosted several Provincial, Regional and National Events at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval and has been successful in producing champions. Former National Team Members and Olympians trained at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval before moving to Calgary to train - some names you may recognize are: Catriona LeMay Doan, Cam Mackay, Gordon Goplen, and Gary Goplen.

Skaters with their coach Wayne Fleming	Sask Open Long Track 1999 - skaters at the starting line
Older skaters at the start. The temperature on January 9 was -23.1°C with a wind chill of 2065 W/m2, January 10 was -23.2 with a wind chill of 2079, so the equivalent of -41 to -45!	Some of the coaches and officials at the Canada cup II, January 1999.
Putting on blade guards
Thanks go to Margaret Campbell for the above information and for providing the photos. Photo scanning and editing was done by the webmaster.