City crews have completed repairs to the ice chiller at Kal Tire Place – South, and work is underway to install a new ice surface. The process to install the ice surface will require at least five days and involves adding logos, painting lines and slowly building up thin layers of ice over a period of time.
It is anticipated that the ice surface at Kal Tire Place – South will be set and ready to use by Wednesday, March 20. The refrigerator system in Kal Tire Place - North was unaffected and has remained operational.
“The ammonia refrigeration system at Kal Tire Place consists of a single ice plant branching off into two separate chillers and brine system, and these components serve each rink separately,” said Dustin Pridham, Manager, Recreation Operations. “The ability to isolate each section prevented the immediate shutdown of the south rink from affecting the Kal Tire Place - North ice surface, mitigating impact to our user groups.”
Since work to repair the ice chiller first began on Sunday, March 10, staff have been assisting user groups to adjust and reschedule ice time. By utilizing Priest Valley Arena and Kal Tire Place – North, 90% of all ice time rentals booked during this period, including the Vernon Vipers two home games, U 13 Tier 1 Provincial Championships and other local league playoffs, have been successfully accommodated.
“Staff have done a remarkable job in addressing and managing this significant challenge,” said Mayor Victor Cumming. “Not only were crews able to safely repair the issue to the ice chiller with remarkable speed, staff were also able accommodate a wide range of user groups to have the least amount of impact on the least number of people. This speaks volumes to the hard work, passion and dedication of the Vernon Recreation Services team. On behalf of Council and the community, great job.”
The Vernon Vipers have relocated their March 16 and 17 home games to Kal Tire Place - North. The Vipers are hosting a free public watch party in Kal Tire Place – South for both games. Concessions will be available.
*Please note, while the rink in Kal Tire Place – South may appear to be ready for use, the ice surface will not be set and ready until at least March 20. All visitors are asked to stay off the ice to avoid any further delays.