Penticton hockey legend Ivan McLelland reflects on his memories of Memorial Arena during a tour of the iconic facility in 2017.Western News file photo

Penticton hockey legend Ivan McLelland reflects on his memories of Memorial Arena during a tour of the iconic facility in 2017.Western News file photo

Inspection work on Memorial Arena arches

Penticton's iconic arena will undergo inspection of the condition of its glulam beams

Follow-up inspection of the arches at Memorial Arena got underway this week.

According to the City of Penticton, crews will be removing the concrete block construction at the base of each arch to allow for further examination of the condition of the glulam beams. This was on the recommendation of the structural engineers in the 2016 Memorial Arena structural condition inspection report.

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“This week involves preparing the building for the detailed inspection,” said Bregje Kozak, director of recreation and facilities. “Next week, we will have a specialized team of wood remediation experts on the site to help us determine our options and a plan.”

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All 18 of the bases and the top of each of the nine arches will be examined. The area will remain open after the inspection to allow access to remediation as required. The city anticipates the remediation would occur during the summer and Memorial Arena will remain operational while the work is underway. The work on the arches was approved as part of the 2018 budget.

“Facility users will notice openings in the interior of the building, but the areas will be localized with no impact to overall operations,” said Kozak.

Modu-Loc fencing will be installed on the perimeter for security.


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Penticton Western News