Ice Palace

I enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations here every year. A fun event with entertainment, shopping and warm smiles.

We visited WEM during Spring Break and specifically brought our skates so we could try out the Ice Palace. We only had one day to try skating as they had a Judo Tournament scheduled for the rest of the weekend. So we laced up our skates and hit the ice shortly after we hit town and checked into our hotel. There were not very many people on the ice — nice! My 6 yr old took a good hard spill and bruised her knee a little, but she was a trooper and kept going. It was a fun time for all!

I once fell on a patch of ice and dislocated my knee (ask me about it sometime — it’s quite the story) so I’m a little iffy about this whole going-​at-​fast-​speeds-​on-​ice thing. Why would anyone do that? Also, cold weather. Like, I know I live here and all so it’s kind of my own fault that I get exposed to it but I feel like I shouldn’t have to be out in the cold if I am going to do this skating thing.
So anyway, if I am going to go skating, this is where I’m going to do it because it’s smack dab in the middle of WEM. It’s obviously colder on the ice than in the rest of the mall, but once you get going, you warm up real good. Which brings me to another point about warm versus cold. Skating outside means wearing a jacket and a toque and mitts. Skating in here means wearing jeans and a cute top, maybe a cardigan. Brings me one step closer to my dream of being an Olympic figure skater in a super cute dress.
It’s a fun time and definitely something different to do in the mall. Pricier than skating on a free, outdoor rink, obviously and here’s why the Ice Palace definitely loses a star: nowhere to lock up your stuff! But look beyond that, or find a sweet old grandmother to watch your stuff, and you’ll love it.

I love ice skating. While I’m more used to outdoor rinks, the Ice Palace was actually a lot of fun. It’s a little weird knowing that tons of people stop to watch you skating but once you get used to that, it’s a lot less intimidating.
I was surprised how few people there were on the ice since we went at the beginning of the December shopping season. I think it wouldn’t have been as fun if the rink had been more full. The two girls I went with were extremely inexperienced skaters so it was really nice having more space to ourselves. For myself it was also nice knowing I wouldn’t have to worry about running into kids who don’t yet grasp the concept of skating in a one-​directional circle.
Why only 3-​stars? There should be lockers nearby or a secure area to store your things. We ended up walking all the way back to the car to our car to drop things off since we didn’t feel comfortable leaving our bags laying around for anyone to snatch up. I also wasn’t overly impressed with the customer service. I get that they’re worried about people stealing the disgusting rental skates, but at least let me put them on before handing over my own shoes as collateral so I don’t have to step in all the puddles in my socks.

I like the Ice Palace as it offers a good break from the busy shopping atmosphere. It is open year round and can be a refreshing break during the summer time. Although it is better to skate outdoors in the winter, I find the ice is better groomed indoors and you do not have to worry about weather conditions.
You can rent skates here, and you can find a wide age range on the rink. You can also watch figure skating and hockey practices taking place here. They have a schedule on their website listing when the rink is free for public use.
This rink may not be for everybody though. There are a lot of people who stare at your from the sidelines, which can be a bit intimidating. If you can ignore them, this is a fun place to be.

The coolest thing about Ice palace is that you can go skating during the summer. Ice palace is the skating rink located inside West Edmonton Mall and it is usually packed with people of all ages just skating around and sometimes its young kids learning to skate. It is pretty amusing watching them.
It is also cool because sometimes the Edmonton Oiler’s practice here and that is great to watch as well. I don’t think anyone would care to watch them practice this season but it is cool nonetheless. Some people probably wouldn’t skate here because of all the eyes on them but usually it is pretty packed with skaters.

The Ice Palace is a fun place.
The best part about skating at the Ice Palace is that it’s indoors. I prefer to be outdoors when I’m skating but in Edmonton, sometimes the weather doesn’t permit that to happen so having a rink indoors is nice.
There are public skates at the Ice Palace (you can rent skates there), they have ice skating and figure skating lessons, hockey practices, and you can also have birthday parties here.
It’s nice that even though you are indoors, the skylight is right above you so you still get a sense of being outdoors. They have beautiful snowflakes hanging from it right now (I put up a picture of them).
It’s a cool place to go with friends and stay warm!

I always thought it was super cool that you could skate inside a mall in the middle of summer, but if you skate like me then maybe it’s better to be in the middle of a frozen lake away from so many spectators. I fell on my face a lot here, as children whizzed by me like they were born with skates attached to their feets and I somehow missed getting that gene. The problem is, if I’m in a mall I’d much rather shop than skate. Skating for me is something that’s fun to do in nature, where you’re outdoors on a pond surrounded by bald trees and snow. It just feels all wrong doing it inside. But that’s just me. Anyway, I think it’s more fun to just watch the little speed demons on the ice or the figure skaters practicing. But if you really want to go skating and it’s just too cold for an outdoor rink, coming here is novel and it’s a good date, then you can put your shoes back on, sling your skates over your shoulder and go to a movie or play glow-​in-​the-​dark mini-​golf.

This is where I learned how to skate. Yes, it was intimidating to show off my lack of skills as shoppers walked by, but I was younger and a bit of a showoff. The ice is well maintained and you can rent skates if you don’t have your own. I was especially appreciative of the nice ledge I could cling on! Seriously, this is an official hockey arena-​sized piece of ice. When the ice is not open to the public you can catch figure skaters practicing their skills here, and sometimes hockey teams practicing as well. There are discounts for groups and hours can vary from season to season. Watching the ice be cleaned by the zamboni is also sort of cool.

The Ice Palace is one of those places almost every Edmontonian has gone to, at least once, to spend a fun-​filled and laid-​back afternoon. You can come here whether you’re a professional cutting figure eights into the ice, or a beginner who’s more comfortable clinging to the wall. If spectator sports is more your thing, you can watch skaters from the mall’s different levels on the outer edge of the rink.
I used to come here a lot with my family, and it’s probably where I got most of my skating experience. It’s a large rink, right in the middle of one of the world’s largest malls (is it still the largest?), with a huge glass dome above that lets all the natural sunlight in. If you’re a beginner, it’s understandable if you feel uneasy skating here, since shoppers passing by may stop to look. I think some advanced skaters have fun here showing off; you can usually see quite a few fancy moves out on this ice.
They also host figure skating events here and are home to the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club. If you’re lucky you can catch the Edmonton Oilers practicing here too. They offer a good discount if you’re going in large groups of 15+ people, about $ 3.50 each. Skate rentals are available if you don’t have your own. It’s best to check their schedule on their website before you go, as the hours vary every day for public skating. They have senior skating hours available from 10am to 11am daily, excluding weekends.