The Natrel Rink

I came here on a Saturday night for the DJ Skate Nights; got there right as the zamboni was doing it’s mid-​skate rounds so it was nice and smooth for us. I really like the fact that there’s a DJ/​music, it just makes it that much more enjoyable and fun. The rink is decent-​sized for an outdoor rink.
It was pretty crowded and unfortunately the ice was pretty scraped up within 10 minutes of skating. There were some people walking on the ice with their shoes, and lots of people just standing around blocking the way for those that were actually trying to skate. Thankfully we had our own skates because there was a huge line to rent.
However, it was still fun and I would go again.

great place to skate — not crowded like other rinks in the city. Beautiful views of the lake & the city. Can be a touch colder than other rinks because you have to contend with the wind off the lake at times.
Sadly it appears that the staff don’t care as much as they used to. People were walking on the ice with shoes, we skated for 2.5 hrs without a flood, soooooo many people with cell phones taking video /​pictures while skating and even saw someone with a selfie stick WHILE skating (aka not paying attention)! People had coffee and someone was smoking while skating. Uhm …? Thankfully I can skate and can navigate around these people but anyone who has trouble stopping may have difficulty if the ice is super crowded.
Still my preferred rink outdoor rink to skate at when friends need to rent skates but they need to step up and better monitor activities on the ice.

I’ve lived in Toronto my whole life and have been going to Nathan Phillip’s Square since I learned to skate. One afternoon my friends and I decided to check out the Natrel rink instead, and I was not disappointed! The rink is beautiful as it’s located right next to the water and almost looks like you’re skating on an island right in the middle of Lake Ontario. It makes for some great pictures.
The rink gets quite crowded, but it’s larger than Nathan Phillip’s so it’s manageable. We got our skates sharpened here which took about 15 minutes so arrive early if needed. I also like the convenience of the $ 1 lockers so you don’t have to worry about your stuff or skate with a backpack on.
The only con was the zamboni took quite a while and it came on the ice just as we were starting to warm up, so sitting on the sidelines waiting for half an hour was quite the bummer — but it’s to be expected for a rink that size/​shape. Check the scheduled maintenance times online before going, that was our mistake!
Overall a fun and friendly rink with great music (we couldn’t stop dancing!) and a cute café nearby for some hot chocolate. I can’t wait to check out the DJ Skate nights.

Loved it here. It was free to skate, but cost 8 dollars if you needed skates… The play great music that you can dance to. And if you get hungry or thirsty you can take a little break and eat something by the rink, and then hop right back on! It’s really pretty at night time. My only problem was that the life guard (or whatever you would call them) wasn’t offering any help, she was just sitting there skating around and wasn’t offering any help to people that were falling or didn’t know how to skate.

First time going to this ice rink. I was surprised it was so big!
It was crowded but not in a bad way. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves and it was a really nice atmosphere.
The people working at the stands were really nice too.
I think it was 10 $ for 2 hours for adults, and 8 $ for kids for 2 hours.
There are lots of park picnic type tables where people can leave their stuff.
They also have a little area on the side with tables where they served warm drinks which was really nice.
It’s also only like a 4 minute walk to the mall if you would rather have more food options (which is what my group did.)

Free skating on a large rink that isn’t just a square. By far the best skating rink in the city. It is kept open up to 10 degrees and there is a DJ on Saturday nights from mid-​December until March 1. It gets busy but never crazy; always a great experience.

I’m taking skate lessons here and I’m super impressed! The class sizes are max 8 people and there are 2 – 3 instructors, so you get a lot of personal instruction. There is a special area of the rink sectioned off for the classes to take place.
I love the Natrel Rink, it’s a zillion times better than Nathan Philips. Less crowded, larger rink, well maintained, great view. Cool indoor area where you can buy booze.
Rental prices are reasonable ($ 8) and it’s free admission if you have your own skates.

FREE ice skating ($ 8 rentals), outside on the shores of Lake Ontario with the Toronto skyline. Throw in some light snow flurries on a brisk November night — magical. What’s not to like? FIVE STARS.

This review is specifically for the Harbourfront DJ Skate Nights that runs every Saturday from 8 – 11 pm usually from mid December to late February.
Positives:
1. The event is free and the music is pretty good, it’s equivalent to Top 40 music you
would hear at a nightclub. Sometimes the music can vary depending on the DJ for
that particular night.
2. A Zamboni cleans the ice from 9 – 9:30 pm.
3. There is an indoor change room with lockers and washrooms.
4. There is also a rinkside restaurant where you can purchase fast food, warm
beverages and also alcohol.
5. Decent sized ice rink.
6. Great event for first dates, hanging out with friends or an affordable date night with
a significant other.
Negatives:
1. DJ Skate nights are becoming very popular, so it’s very very crowded.
2. The ice surface is average at best because of the number of people skating on the
rink.
3. Forget trying to rent skates during DJ Skate Nights unless you plan on coming at
8pm or before, I got there at around 9 pm and there was a lineup out the door for
skate rentals ($ 8), it looked like a minimum 30 minute wait and there is no
guarantee that you will find your size since it’s a first come first serve basis and
their is a limited amount of skates available for rental. It’s advisable to bring your
own skates if you own a pair.