Harbourfront Centre Rink (formerly known as the Natrel Rink) Once was a five star rink!!! That was before it was closed and moved. The Harbourfront Ice Skating Rink may be back but it's a mere shadow of its former self and is a completely unremarkable venue now. I had planned to skate there but when I saw where they had moved the rink and the awful condition of the ice, I was flabbergasted and changed my mind!! Everything that made the original rink unique and special was gone!! When you came to the Natrel rink you could enjoy skating around the freeform sunken edged rink all while taking in a marvellous, unobstructed view of Lake Ontario. The ice was always one of the best outdoor ice surfaces to skate on in the city as well. It was always very well maintained and a great surface for outdoor skating. Unfortunately it is now just a poor quality rectangular ice pad with a view of the underside of the highway and buildings. Oh sure they have put some lights up on the thin tree trunks to try and make it look better but it still falls short. For me the experience is ruined forever. (Unless they decide to put the rink back where it was and maintain it better). It's sad that they didn't put more thought into what actually made the rink unique in the first place and what made it a great place to skate. I had been anxiously awaiting its reopening but was sorely disappointed to see what it has become. It is comdevoid of any previous charm and is no longer a good skating venue. I will not be back! read more

I love this skating rink. So beautiful. Once of my favourites. Perfect place for a date

We wanted to go outdoor ice skating and this was one of two options downtown (the other being Nathan Phillips Square). Only half of our party had skates so the rest of the group went inside the rental shop to get skates. They're open from 10:00am to 10:00pm but cut off rentals an hour before they close. Bad timing for us because we got there right around 9:00pm meaning we were SOL. Adult skates cost $10.00 for a 2 hour time slot but you can also rent helmets (gross) and lockers. Don't forget to bring along one piece of ID. The rink was busy for a Monday evening but that was likely due to it being a holiday. We didn't skate but the friends that did said the ice was pretty choppy. Still fun if you just want to zoom around. read more

The Natrel Rink - Inside - Skating Rinks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My husband and I were in Toronto for the weekend and all I wanted to do was skate at this rink unfortunately we arrived 30 minutes before they were closing and they wouldn't take my money to let me skate for just 15 minutes. We probably won't be in town again anytime soon so it was quite upsetting. It was actually my first time in Toronto and one of the things i was looking forward to doing... The teenage boys who were working were also quite curt especially for Canada! I am used to people being a lot nicer and have better customer service but these kids were not having it. Again, it was unfortunate that I wasn't able to skate but it did look like a neat rink!!! read more

Sad to see the harbour front rink demolished and under construction, hope they have incorporated a new rink in the plans. it was the perfect place to skate and take in great views and scenery. read more

Favourite skating rink! Complimentary hot chocolate and a DJ nights(: Bring your own skates if you can, rental lines can get a but long during peak hours. It's busy not not too crowded like Nathan Philips Square. Definitely recommend! read more

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.) read more

The Natrel Rink - Skating Rinks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Having been to the rink a few times over the last couple of years. This rink is perfect! - Rental Facility - Locker Room - Free admission to the rink - DJ freaking SKATE NIGHT - the DJ was soo good, he would mix ethnic music with hiphop (Middle eastern, indian etc) - Less crowded during weekdays, a little crowded during weekends, but still much less than Nathan Philips. - Best location for a rink, on one side you have the lake, the other side you have CN tower; it doesn't get any more picturesque than this. - Usually well maintained - best out of all the rinks I have been in Toronto - Good for beginners - plenty of people learning and falling. I learnt skating here last year. I am slowly becoming an ambassador of ice skating to the brown community lol I have taken my friends, colleagues and family to this rink and everybody loves the place, some people are actually trying to learn skating after skating there. read more

The Natrel Rink - Posing - Skating Rinks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Winter sports are always so much more WORK than summer ones. Perhaps it's all the layers and runny noses and freezing cold wind. Either way, you gotta get outside sometime, otherwise YOU. WILL. GO. CRAZY. The skating rink down at the Harbourfront is a great place to visit on a sunny day, but don't forget to dress WARM. There is a crazy cold coming off the lake. It's not a huge rink, a kind of figure-8 shape but the top loop of the eight is a lot smaller so people get kinda bunched and start falling into giant piles. But hey, that's part of the fun (if you don't think it is, then don't go skating). My only other piece of advice is BRING YOUR OWN SKATES. It takes FOREVER to rent, especially on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Also, GET YOUR SKATES SHARPENED BEFORE you go! They charge $5 (a little steep) and you have to wait quite a while. read more

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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 .. read more

This is a great skating rink. The rink is actually free, so if you have skates your good to go! If you don't have skates you can rent them for 13 for an adult. The rink is a pretty good size, it is well maintained and they have music playing. The skates were very good. Not just some cheap skates that hurt to use, they worked very well and I didn't even have blisters from using those skates! The view is amazing too. You have a great view of the CN tower, and the lake on the other side. You can even watch planes fly in to the airport on the Toronto islands. So If your looking for a great place to skate in Toronto. This is it! read more

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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. read more

The Natrel Rink - Toronto skyline from the rink. - Skating Rinks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Skating at the Natrel Rink is a pretty cheap Saturday night out. For the mere price of a $7-ish skate rental (free if you have your own skates), you too can wobble out onto the ice and skate/flounder around for a few rounds, all the while being lapped repeatedly by children 1/4 your age. (Gee, must be nice to still have flexible bones). Saturday nights are DJ skate nights, where you have the added enjoyment of watching teenagers engage in courtship rituals. Be forewarned, however -- these nights appear to be quite popular, and after about 7pm or so the queues for getting and returning ice skates can be a bear. Furthermore, lockers tend to be in short supply. Also, when I went the ice was in bad need of Zamboni'ing, which made it a little difficult for a beginner like me to keep balance. I suspect they don't Zamboni as often as they should. Finally, CASH only and a government-issued ID are required for skate rental, and be sure to bring a loonie for the lockers (if you're lucky enough to snag one). Other than that, it's good times. Just be sure to make sure your ankles are straight while you skate, or they'll be quite sore afterward, like mine are. Owww. read more

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. read more

A really nice, outdoor skating rink with an amazing view of the CN tower. I really couldn't complain, I had so much fun skating around with my friends and definitely would come again often during the Winter season read more

The Natrel Rink - Skating Rinks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went here tonight for somelate night skating and it was pretty fun. I'd have to say if we came a bit earlier when the ce was cleaner, then it would have been even more fun, but as it was we still all had a great time. Because of the lake, the rink was not too bad in terms of being cold. It would have been worse if you were walking along any other Toronto street tonight. There is a skate rental for $7 and your ID. The parking is not too expensive at $3 per half hour. There are pay per use lockers and an indoor area where you can tie up your laces. Saturday night is also dj dance party night so there were disco lights and the frequent voice interruption from the dj. And since natrel is the sponsor, naturally milk gets put into hot chocolate. There was free hot chocolate being given away if you'd like. The ice condition itself was pretty good. Since it was so cold, the ice was doing some additional freezing and made the ice feel more bumpy. read more

A skating rink overlooking the lake - lovely! Although will likely be incredibly cold and windy when the temperature drops more, so bundle up! Good size rink, with a little section off to the side for practicing fancier moves or trying to skate backward. There's music, which definitely enhances the skating experience. Lockers that can be rented (1$ for small, 2$ for large), sharpening and rentals on site (5$ and 8$ respectively). I went when it was raining so the ice quality wasn't super smooth. But it also meant it wasn't too busy, which was nice. I suspect it would get very busy normally, but that's unavoidable with a large public rink. Have heard that it's less frequented than city hall though. There's a cafe right next to the rink for hot chocolate/snack breaks. There's also a second cup nearby, which looks out onto the lake. Nice area and very accessible by transit - just go to union and then take the streetcar to harbourfront. Perfect place to go skating and then walk around the harbour. read more

I started going to The Natrel Rink for skating since 2014. It's an outdoor rink, free and have rental options for both skate & helmet. They also have skate sharpening service. It's big enough for couple of a big groups and never gets as busy as the Nathan Phillips Square's one on a regular day. On the weekends, specially on the Friday and Saturday evenings, it becomes very busy. So if you want rental, come early. I took adult intro lessons in 2014. It was pretty good - you have to sign up from the "Harbourfront Centre - Learn to Skate" online page. All the trainers are very young, enthusiastic and super friendly. Each course is four-weeks long with a one hour session each week. The training area is separated from the general skating area. This is the same rink, they just put some pylons to separate the training area. So no chance of bumping into some expert skaters. Every Saturday DJ night is pretty good - it continuous for couple of weeks. If you feel cold, just have some warm soup/coffee from the adjacent canteen. The canteen remains open until late in the evening. Since it's very close to the lake, it may get very cold. So bundle up enough without hindering your skating ability. The rink remains open approximately from mid November to early March. Happy skating! read more

It's a rink. It's outdoors. It's well maintained. Rentals are cheap and there is plenty of seating for changing footwear. Coin-op lockers are close at hand and so are a few places to get warm beverages. Warning: It can be VERY windy here since it's outdoors and is in plain view of the lake. Also it can get super busy during weekends. Go on a weekday, mid-day! Then it's nearly empty and the ice is perfect. read more

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. read more

The Harbourfront has always been a fun place to go in the summer, to roam the board walk and people watch, ice cream in hand, and now, it's even the place to be for outdoor fun in the winter. The skating rink at the Harbourfront Centre has a LOT to offer for both young and old! I enjoy going skating in the winter and have written about Christie Pitts rink being my favourite in the city, but I think Harbourfront comes in at a close second. I like it for its funky shape (not an oval or square rink), music played on a daily basis, and DJ funk nights! Every few weeks, Harbourfront rink hosts DJ funk night. You can skate, dance, and groove to some spins and Natrel is there to provide free cups of hot chocolate! It's a very fun place to go on a date or a big group of friends, although it does get very crowded. Don't make the mistake I did of stopping suddenly or trying to turn around. You'll get pummeled! The ice isn't too choppy, although due to the number of people who go, you don't really have the ability to skate around in anything other than the one direction. At other rinks, you can go opposite to the crowd or diagonally, etc. This is hard to do at Harbourfront without getting angry looks or a broken ankle. The DJ funk nights are definitely my favourite time to go to this rink. There are people of all ages enjoying the space, music and warm drinks! I even forgot how cold it was when I went! (The rink is very close to the open water so you do feel cold water winds fly up your back every so often). This is a great place to go get some fresh air, exercise and have some fun during our long winter season! read more

Compared to all the other outdoor rinks I know of in downtown Toronto (okay fine so I only know of this one and Nathan Phillips) the rink at the Harbourfront Centre is about 10,000 times better. The large size and the non oval shape of the rink allows for a much better time skating. The other big plus is the music they play and the live DJ's they have that spin at the rink on certain nights! I spent an hour and a half skating here which is something I haven't done since I used to play hockey! The have pretty crappy skates for rent unfortunately so it's better you bring your own but otherwise this is a great place to go skating. read more

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. read more

Skating at Harbourfront is my favorite get-out-and-enjoy-the-winter activity!! If you own your own skates, it's totally free! Super easy to get to if you take transit (i hate trying to find parking here). The streetcar will let you off at Lower Simcoe and Queens Quay. There is a heated indoor change room area so you can lace up your skates without freezing your hands and butt off. You can rent skates there too for $7. Sharpening is $5. If you wanna put your shoes and stuff in a locker, remember to bring a loonie. If you go skating during the week it's not that busy and they still play fun music while you glide around anti-clockwise. Another great thing is that the rink is that it's like a circle with a smaller bubble off the side. It makes for slightly less bordom than the usual rectangular rinks. The view of the water is fabulous, and i LOVE the fire pits they have at the side. Good for warming up your mittens and i love the smell. You can find me here at least twice a week all winter :) read more

Skating on Plastic? No way! SKATING RINKS There are two skating rinks. 1. With REAL ICE- The rink is in a funny shape. Sort of like the outline of an eight. Since it's been so warm out these days, 75% of the rink was closed. And the portion that was open was still very slushy. Since the area was so concentrated, the ice was poor. People kept falling and their pants were soaked. I think the rink guards should be wiping away the excess water and slush every once in a while. They can use these outdoor deck squeegees. 2. With FAKE ICE - This was the kiddie learning rink I think and it was literally skating on a cutting board. Initially it was a bit hard to get use to since there was a lot more friction compared to the ice (It could be b/c you can't zamboni the thing). But you get use to it. My friend said it was a great learning rink for kids. What was better was that everyone wanted to skate on the real ice that we had the fake ice practically to ourselves. MUSIC What is great about Harbourfront is that they play music while you skate. I'd imagine it being very romantic during night skates with your special someone. However you can't hear the music if you're in the "Fake Ice" rink. COST FREE!! which is super great! (that is if you have your own skates and don't rent a locker). We also found parking on Harbour street (between York and Bay) for $5 all day. read more

I had a great time at the Natrel rink on DJ Skate Night. It's very crowded but I think that's part of the fun. It's a real party atmosphere. People of all ages and abilities skating beneath the coloured lights of the Power Plant Art Gallery steps away from the lake and with a breathtaking view of our beautiful city skyline. Skate rentals are available for $8 if you need it. Lots of seating around the rink to get your skates on. There's also a licensed lounge where you can grab a snack or a drink. I recommend saving the alcoholic bev's til after you're done skating for obvious reasons. The music is great. There's a fire pit at the far end where you can go to warm up. Fortunately, the weather was mild when we went which is not a problem as the rink is artificially frozen. They do DJ nights on Saturdays from 8 pm to 11 pm until the end of February. read more

Went for a casual skate last week. My first time at this rink and enjoyed it. It was during the day so unsurprisingly not busy. Great view and a really cool feel to skate beside the lake. Can be a bit windy down there but it's part of skating outdoors. They also have a smaller ice pad connected to the main rink where skaters can practice a bit, or just start off of inexperienced. Have heard great things about DJ skate night but haven't had a chance to go yet read more

Nice skating rink right next to Lake Ontario and the CN tower. We came here New Year's Eve late afternoon and they were blasting the top 100 songs of the 90's. $7 for skate rentals (the blades are not that sharp) and you can skate for free if you have your own skates. read more

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. read more

Well, very often it gets crowded so much, that skating does not feel like fun anymore. Some stupid Brownian motion. Find less crowded spots in the city kids. Perhaps, charging some fee would help upgrade change room and bathrooms 'cause they smell. Bringing decent vendors with coffee_tea_food would be nice too. read more

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 cafe nearby for some hot chocolate. I can't wait to check out the DJ Skate nights. read more

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. read more