GUELPH — Neighbours who back onto city-owned green space in south Guelph are dismayed to discover that after building and maintaining a neighbourhood skating rink for the past five winters, they now have to shut it down.

"It's been a real communal effort," said Amir Gutman, adding the rink is well maintained by local parents who clear and flood it almost every night using their own equipment and water.

The rink is located on the green space that runs between residential properties that front onto Summerfield Drive and Grey Oak Drive in the Pine Ridge subdivision.

Gutman said the rink is fairly large — about six by 15 metres — and neighbours have installed lights so it can be used at night.

They shut off the lights at 8 p.m. on school nights; 9 p.m. or so on weekends.

"I believe it's one neighbour who took it upon herself to do everything she could to jeopardize the rink," Gutman said. "If it was an issue of safety or if it compromised the green space, I could understand it. But it's safe, it's well-maintained, it's away from houses and it's such a short season.

"The children are just devastated."

Brent Pedersen, who also lives in the area, said this has been a fantastic winter for the rink weather-wise and he, too, is upset that the skating dreams of dozens of children have been shattered.

"So many kids in the area use it and benefit from it," Pedersen said. "This is good, healthy exercise for them. The public arenas are taken up by hockey and figure skating. There's about one hour a day for public skating and we'd have to drive to it.

"It's just sad that one person can put a stop to it."