A recent ice rink tragedy in Fernie, B.C., has prompted North Vancouver’s Canlan Ice Sports North Shore to speed up the timetable on some equipment and facilities upgrades.
Canlan sent out a memo to arena users Tuesday stating that the facility would be closed Oct. 25-26 “to complete precautionary and planned equipment maintenance and upgrades.” Two of the facility's three ice sheets are scheduled to reopen Oct. 27, with the third sheet back in play within the next three weeks.
The memo indicated that the work was scheduled to be completed in 2018 but was advanced “as a precautionary measure based on the recent tragedy at the recreation facility in Fernie, B.C.” Three men were killed following an ammonia leak Oct. 17 at Fernie Memorial Arena.
Canlan president and CEO Joey St-Aubin said the chilling system in the 20-year-old North Shore facility was nearing the end of its 20- to 25-year lifespan, so the company chose to replace it sooner rather than later.
“We’re very aggressive when it comes to preventative maintenance, but certainly what transpired in Fernie, B.C. makes us extra cautious,” said St-Aubin. “We wanted to make sure we made the right decision.”
St-Aubin said it was unfortunate that the last-minute nature of the work will cause some disruption for facility users, but added that the Canlan leadership group wanted to put safety first.
Ammonia problems have hit at least one North Shore arena in the past decade. North Vancouver Olympic legend Karen Magnussen suffered permanent injury and is still unable to coach skating after being engulfed in a cloud of ammonia gas that had leaked from the refrigeration plant at the North Shore Winter Club on Nov. 28, 2011.
