West End Community Centre

This place is amazing. We took our family ice skating. Frank!!!!! Frank is amazing and taught me how to ice skate!! He was so kind to my husband and helped us find ice skates that fit. He interacts with everyone not just my kids and family but everyone on the ice. He is the sweetest person I met in Vancouver. We skated during public skate on Thursday 12-1:30pm but came back at 3:30pm because my kids had so much fun. We even stayed after and watched some guys play hockey.
They wanted to go back on Friday Morning!!!

The staff at the desk were amazing as well. The locals that use this rink were equally nice. I highly recommend checking out this jewel!!!

Dear West End Community Centre,

You made our entire trip with ice skating for just $6 per person including skate rental! What an AMAZING deal! We were visiting Vancouver for a week, and when you have a family of five, activities can add up very quickly. We live in Hawaii on the island of 'Oahu, where there's only one ice skating venue on the entire island, so that means ice skating is a rare treat. Our kids loved it so much we came back three times. Our youngest six year old daughter begged us every single day to bring her back to hold on to the wall and learn how to skate on the ice. By day three she was skating all on her own and felt so accomplished. Our older two children couldn't skate by the end of our trip, but they still had a blast on that rink.

I wish the times to skate were more often and longer, but I have so much gratitude in my heart for this wonderful community centre that created beautiful memories for our family. The staff here were super friendly and helpful, and we looked forward to seeing them during each visit. Can't wait to go back to Vancouver again for more family skate time!

What a great community center to serve the population of downtown Vancouver. So many things to do here. Skating rink. Auditorium. Pottery studio. Library. Youth programs. Everyone is welcome. So many benefits to being a member.

My family decided to book the gym at this community centre to hold my nephew's 2nd birthday party. It was the best decision made and the kids loved it!

Four Tables and at least 40 chairs were set up for us. All we had to do was decorate the place and bring food.

Imagine a huge gym with mats, slides, toys and cars the kids can sit in and drive around with their feet. All these toys were set up in the middle and the children had access to move around everywhere. They can be as loud as they want and they can run to their heart's content.

Every little child and parent left happy that day.

Decent community Centre but far from the best. Skating is nice here and they do have a mini library which nice. It's also a very popular place so the classes fill up really quickly meaning you can't delay a couple of days. The facility could be a bit cleaner but to be honest it wasn't a huge issue. Really wish they had some basketball here.

What better rainy Sunday afternoon activity is there than skating?

The west end community center has a standard sized rink and skate rentals. It is BYO-hot chocolate though.

Entrance costs under $5, and then just an extra $2.45 to rent skates. There are family/public skates on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, a perfect date-night Saturday evening skate, and also a loonie-skate on Thursdays. In addition to the rink there is also a gym, library, and even a pottery studio in the center.

And when you discover how much you love going skating, there are discount tickets available in books of 10 for both the entrance fees and skate rentals.

**Ice Rink Review**

147' x 74'!!! Why are these dimensions significant?? It's significant if you're an ice hockey player that's used to NHL rink standards of 200' x 85'!! Yes, we call the WEC rink the "Boston Gardens" of Vancouver ice rinks because it was once the smallest rink in the NHL. The WEC is 147' X 74'!!

The most players on ice is 4 per side + goalie. This makes for some really face-paced action in tight quarters. You have to think and move even faster!!

Also, this rink has many idiosyncrasies:
- there's only plexiglas-board combos on the north side of the rink. The remainder is concrete and doors.
-there's only one opening for bench changes for BOTH teams and the gate is left OPEN!
-there are only 2 double doors on the south side of the rink and if you've ripped a few slappers in the right spot, you can literally smash the handles off! LOL

I noticed the rink is enjoyed by many international students and visitors. When we have practice or game sessions, they love to take pics with us in our hockey gear and ask of if they can hold our sticks.

YES, we get to feel like NHL'rs for a day! Rockstar, baby!!

A nice facility with lots to do, WECC does a great job of catering to neighborhood needs. The fitness centre has separate rooms for weights and cardio, both of which are well appointed for an older facility.

Additionally there is an ice rink, and a couple adjustable courts for racquetball/squash, which are becoming more and more rare withing the parks board (MPCC had some until it was torn down in favour of the new facility at 1 Kingsway)

By no means is this a Crown Jewel among the host of newer, shinier facilities opens over the past 5-or-so years (MPCC, Trout Lake, Hillcrest) but WECC is still really nice, and serves it's community well. Me likey.

This place MAKES the neighbourhood. From library (you can request books from VPL online and get them to deliver them to Joe Fortes), to the fitness center, pottery studio...what more could you ask for!?!? A steam room?? OK, they have that too.

I've been using this fitness centre for years and love it's unpretentiousness. If you go to the gym to prance around in makeup and lululemon keep walking. This place is to work out. And if you are a woman who gets annoyed at how the men take over the free weight room...just wait until Sunday 5-7 when us ladies have the whole place to ourselves. For some reason, not many women take advantage and i've had the place (including steam room) practically to myself on a few occasions.

But the best are the Monday and Friday yoga classes with Fran. Monday will kick your arse. Yes, even you boys. Actually especially you boys. It is a Yoga Shape class and is not for the weak in mind, heart or body. Don't let her small frame fool you. Fran is a beast!!! Friday classes are a little less intense but still a great yoga workout. At less than 5$ a drop in (if you buy a book of 10 tix) it is the cheapest drop in in town.

I love the WECC.

If I were writing Hallmark cards they might sound a little something like these:

1) Happy Anniversary, May 31. You make getting my parking pass so easy and so cheap to own. Thanks for the last magical four years!

2) Remember how fun skating was when you were a kid.

Inside: Before your feet grew to big and your body grew brittle and grown up and falling actually hurt. Thanks for the ledges, built perfectly for scaredy cat adults.

3) Woo hoo, play date time. There's a fricking bouncy castle inside. Inside: You're invited.

4) Thank you for being my neighbourhood friend!