It's April and that means one thing when it comes to the Aurora Ford Arena: it's time to melt the ice.

But before the ice was taken out for the season, residents had one last chance to leave their mark of sorts on March 29 as the town's recreation department hosted its third annual Paint The Ice event. It was originally inspired by a similar event that happens every year in Red Deer, Alta., on the Family Day long weekend each February.

Courtney Fraser, the townSA国际影视传媒檚 recreation programmer, said from the amount of people streaming through the front doors, it was perhaps the best-attended one they've ever had.

"The ice was very covered this year," she said.

Those who did come out to decorate the ice could draw anything they wanted, within reason and nothing obscene, said Fraser, with all of the supplies provided by the town.

"We provided the paint, the brushes, the markers and left it up to the creativity of those who came out," she said.

The ice season was a good one overall, she added, with plenty happening from around early October through to the end of March.

"All of our groups had great numbers all season long," she said. "We had minor hockey tournaments, we had school groups out playing hockey, we had the (Hay River) figure skating club holding their carnival a couple of weeks ago. It all went really well."

The ice-making plant was shut down on Sunday and the ice itself was starting to get melted down on Monday. Once that's all taken care of, it's time to start planning for the multi-sport season.

If you're missing the ice terribly, Fraser said don't worry as you only have to wait until the first week of October before the new ice season gets underway.