Halifax opened Canada's first covered skating rink on Jan. 3, 1863

The Halifax Oval andits brand new facility is nowopen to the public, but exactly 153 years ago, you had to be well connected to the rich if you didn't want to skate on a lake.

On Jan. 3, 1863, British North America's first permanentcovered skating rink opened in Halifax's Horticultural Gardens now known as the Public Gardens. The privilege of skating there, however, was not-so public.

The rink was part of a series of recreational developmentprojects for which planning started in 1837, led by the Horticultural Society.

The structure was 55metres longby 18 metres widewith an arched roof. The wooden building was lit with coal gas.

The skating rink was open year round with natural ice for winter activities. A wooden floor wasinstalled to allow for dancing and roller skating the rest in warmer seasons.

'The old building quivering and shaking'

Membership, which sold out within three weeks of its opening, was limited available only to a small network of shareholders, their families and friends.

In 1880, a skating carnival was held and was so popular it "kept the old building quivering and shaking and enabling the promenaders to indulge in giddy waltz or the calmer manoeuversof the lancers and quadrilles," according to the Acadian Recorder, a weekly newspaper that ceased publication in the early 20th century.

The gardens were, at the time, part of the Halifax Common, which stretched north to south from Cunard Street to South Street; west to east from Robie Street to North and South Park Streets.

The land itself was mossy and rocky. Private investors sought to improve the property by building various facilities and parks.

After 35 years of managing the property, the Horticultural Society was forced to sell the land to the City of Halifax for $15,000.