Consultants and city staff made the case to Brandon City Council at its Monday meeting that the Sportsplex ice arena should be renovated rather than replaced with something else.

The arena in the Sportsplex was closed indefinitely on March 2 after city staff identified safety concerns with the ammonia ice plant.

Even if the city wanted to repair the existing ice plant at a cost of $359,809, it does not meet the current provincial safety standards and has only been operating under an exemption that expires in September 2025. It was also estimated those repairs would take 32 weeks to complete.

‘>

Since the closure, the city has been considering temporary repairs, a complete replacement of the ice plant or replacing the ice surface with another feature with the help of outside consulting firms MNP, Verne Reimer Architecture and HTFC.

Last month, the city held an open house where residents were invited to look at proposals for the space that included a renovated ice arena, a new indoor hard court, an indoor artificial turf surface or a hybrid hard court/artificial turf.

All the concepts proposed by the city’s consultants recommended upgrading changing rooms, bathrooms and improving accessibility to modernize the Sportsplex as part of the renovations.

At a special meeting held before Monday’s regular meeting, representatives of the consulting firms presented information from various consultations with stakeholder groups and the public.

At the open house, approximately 140 residents expressed an overall strong desire for the arena to retain its ice surface, though some groups including newcomers wanted indoor court and turf facilities in the city.

An indoor multi-use turf was the proposal with the second-most support, though significantly less so than the ice arena.

Consultants also engaged in interviews with stakeholder groups who use the Sportsplex as well as groups who could potentially use the facility depending on what path the city chooses for it.

Those groups said there is a need for a publicly owned ice surface for people to learn how to skate on, participate in public skating options and hockey programs for youth, though some groups also identified a need for other types of facilities.

Even if a turf or court was installed, stakeholders expressed doubt they would be regulation-size with the limitations of the space. … from MNP said that the current layout would also prevent a low-cost transition from an ice rink to another future.

Stakeholder groups also said the Sportsplex’s change rooms, washrooms, entries and exits do not meet current safety and accessibility standards. This was echoed by approximately 2,000 residents who participated in an online survey, who also wanted to see more frequent maintenance performed at the site as well as more varied programming.

Those stakeholder groups included Hockey Brandon, Assinboine Community College, Brandon School Division, Westman Immigrant Services and Brandon Youth Soccer Association, among others.

Less than ideal suitability for other sports, bringing facilities up to modern standards and accessibility shortcomings were also identified by MNP.

Because of the feedback received and their own analysis, the firm suggested in a report that the rink be renovated using a phased approach “to prioritize critical systems and restore community access to ice as soon as possible.”

As of the Sun’s print deadline, council had yet to vote on a motion that would have approved the release of a request for proposals for the detailed design of a new ice plant as well as the expenditure of $300,000 from the Sportsplex reserve to pay for it.

Should council approve the complete replacement of the ice plant, work is estimated to be complete by the end of 2024. Director of recreation Heather Reimer said the goal would be to have the ice ready for September 2024, but she was unsure if that target would be met.

General manager of operations Patrick Pulak said that because it has been around 50 years since the installation of the previous ice plant, a lot of engineering work has to be done to figure out a solution because of changes to codes and standards.

The detailed design would not include items like change rooms and other amenities, which would need to be looked at in the future.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» X: @ColinSlark