Opinion: Why your backyard rink is turning into a wading pool

Montrealers who recently watched their outdoor rinks turn into wading pools may be asking, “Is this normal?” The answer: Yes. 
As far as skating seasons go, this wasn’t the worst one in recent history. It was short, but over the last 75 winters, there have been 10 others when the best skating was finished by mid-February. It was a bit of a shock to learn the Beaver Lake rink on Mount Royal  would no longer be maintained, but ponds that must bear the additional weight