Woodbine Mall's liminal spaces are becoming a roller rink this fall in Etobicoke

SUSO Skate Co., a Canadian roller skating company known for converting unused spaces into pop-up rinks, is opening an indoor skating experience at Woodbine Mall on the lower level, directly across from CinéStarz Deluxe and adjacent to Fantasy Fair.

The rink is an extension of SUSO's business model: taking underutilized spaces and turning them into gathering places for skating. For co-founder Henry O'Brien, Woodbine Mall — built in 1985 and increasingly known for its desolate, internet-famous "liminal" spaces as businesses shuttered over the years — held special appeal. "Woodbine Mall has always been a place with a strong sense of identity," O'Brien said, alluding to the nostalgia the mall and its history evoke among Toronto generations.

The company began this initiative in Toronto in 2021 with a summer pop-up at The Bentway before expanding to rooftops and other near-empty malls. The new rink aims to resurrect Woodbine's space and history while introducing roller skating to those who haven't experienced it.

The rink opens to the public September 25. Operating hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. (adults only), and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 7 p.m. Guests can bring their own skates and pay $14 for a session, or rent skates on-site for $18 per session including admission. Sessions can be booked online through SUSO Skate Co.'s website.

Woodbine Mall, located at 500 Rexdale Boulevard, filed for bankruptcy after years of financial decline, and ownership was transferred to lending company Rompsen Investment Corporation earlier this year. The roller rink is expected to draw thousands of skaters and potentially breathe new life into the struggling centre.