While the summer days are heating up, crews have been working to install ice at the Summerland Arena.
Municipal crews began cooling the floor at the arena on June 23, shortly after the Summerland Secondary School graduation ceremony had concluded.
Since that time, the crews have been putting in the ice, along with the lines and logos on the ice surface.
The large image at centre ice is the logo of the Summerland Jets, the community鈥檚 minor hockey teams.
Unisus School in Summerland also has logos on the ice this year.
Mike Fetterer, facilities maintenance supervisor for Summerland, said the process of installing the ice is expected to be finished in early July.
Additional layers of ice are being added above the logos.
Summer hockey camps will begin on July 7, and will continue throughout the summer.
Fetterer said the arena is busy throughout the year, with numerous sports programs using the ice.
Unisus School in Summerland uses the ice three to four hours a day and four to five days a week during the school season.
Summerland Minor Hockey and the Summerland Skating Club are also active users of the arena.
In previous years, Summerland had a minor hockey team playing at the arena. When that team, the Summerland Steam, relocated to become the Williams Lake Mustangs after the 2023 to 2024 hockey season, other ice users in the community quickly filled the additional hours at the arena.
Summerland has had artificial ice in its arenas since 1955 and has offered summer ice since 1959.
The present arena has been in place since 1976. Over the years, summer programs have brought in players like Canadian Olympic hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and Manon Rheaume, a former Team Canada goalie and the first woman to play in a National Hockey League game.
