This review will be mostly about the skating area at Albert Campbell Square. Other than the ice rink, there are a group of picnic tables above it that always have people eating or resting in the summer, and a few little open green spaces but not much else. The square itself is surrounded by Scarborough Civic Centre offices, the Scarborough Town Centre mall and TTC station, and some fairly recent condo buildings.
The ice rink is not a hockey-style rink, but an open square that serves as a reflecting pond in the summer. Unlike the other outdoor skating trails that I have reviewed recently, this square seems more like old-fashioned pond-skating to me, which is a nice change some days. While I have read that there is an on-site Zamboni, the ice usually seems a little more natural when I have been there, meaning a little rough in some places and still some snow scattered around this morning. But I do not mean this to be a negative point; I am quite happy to go skating there even when it is cold and windy like this morning. Perhaps because of this, the rink is never very busy when I go, usually not more than 4-5 people at any one time. This allows people to skate freely, in a circle or randomly, changing directions whenever you please. As long as you stay out of other people's way, no one seems to care, so it's a great place to practice something new.
There is a changing area inside the Civic Centre (and apparently a snack bar according to the sign), but I always just use the benches around the rink, so cannot really comment on these facilities. There are staff around if needed, but seldom are they out on the ice. Overall, it's a very quiet and enjoyable old-fashioned pond-skating experience. read more