The Tamitik Arena in Kitimat is closed this weekend due to a mechanical issue with the rink’s ice chilling system.
The District of Kitimat announced the arena’s closure in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.
Upon inspection, staff discovered the pressure-reducing valves were malfunctioning, said District of Kitimat spokesperson Michael Dewar.
“We shut down the arena to preserve the ice until we can get a refrigeration mechanic in,” Dewar said.
Because ammonia is used as a refrigerant for the arena, he said staff checked the system in case of a leak.
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“The chiller, from what I understand, is ammonia-related equipment. However it was not an ammonia leak,” he said.
“First and foremost is the health and safety of our employees as well as a public, so we definitely looked at whether there was a risk to anyone with ammonia leaking. It was determined that everything was safe.”
He said he expects the problem to be fixed by Monday.
An update will be provided on the District of Kitimat’s website by Tuesday at noon. Regular scheduled Tamitik Arena programming will be accommodated at the Kitimat Ice Rink.
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As a result of the arena’s closure, Saturday night’s game between the Terrace River Kings and the Kitimat Ice Demons was cancelled.
Terrace River Kings general manager Ross Smith said he hopes to reschedule the game between Terrace and Kitimat for sometime in December.
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