The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor ice skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened in 1862, it was described at the start of the twentieth century to be "one of the finest covered rinks in the world". The building was used during winter seasons for pleasure skating, ice hockey and skating sports on a natural ice rink. In summer months, the building was used for various events, including musical performances and horticultural shows. It was the first building in Canada to be electrified.
1870 skating carnival in Victoria Rink in honour of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. Hundreds of skaters, some in costume, some in military dress skate inside the arena, which is decorated with evergreen boughs and flags.
Fancy Ball at Victoria Rink, 1865
1893 Hockey game
View from Stanley
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world.
Interior of the Glaciarium in 1876
Ice rink in Amsterdam c. 1900, from the Amsterdam City Archives
1894–1895: North Avenue Ice Palace skating rink in Baltimore, Maryland
1901: St. Nicholas Rink, New York City