Temporary Arena Closure FAQ

The closure was a result of high humidity caused by changing site conditions as part of the Brennan Park renovation project. These contributing factors included:

• Unusual atmospheric weather conditions both in terms of ambient temperature but more critically ambient air humidity ratio (a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air, defined as the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air). the dehumidification equipment is designed (as per BC Building Code) to address a certain level of humidity in the building, and recent conditions were at times ~25-35% higher. No equipment/system is designed to cover a sustained condition that is this far out (25-35%) of the typical design parameters. 
• Temporary removal of a wall that separated the ice rink from the arena lobby.
• Ongoing installation of new mechanical systems for the Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning of the site.
• Additional strain on the existing dehumidifiers that service the ice rink.

This led to elevated condensation in the form of water droplets falling onto the ice surface, posing unsafe ice conditions.

We acknowledge the community has lingering questions regarding the root cause analysis to understand how this happened and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future. We will share any public information once that analysis has been completed. However for now, we remain focused on implementing the solution and restoring access to the arena as quickly as possible.

Elevated humidity levels were initially identified in early-August when preparations for ice making began. The team was, however, able to manage the issues with various mitigation measures until the Labour Day weekend when the humidity levels spiked. Prior to the Labour Day weekend, it was anticipated that humidity would drop with the ice installed, as was the team’s experience in prior years.

The District’s commitment to residents has been that operations will continue at the recreation centre during the renovation. We acknowledge that the risk of a rapid change in conditions (humidity) that caused the ice issue was not anticipated to the necessary degree. Our commitment to the community is to solve this issue as quickly as possible so that your season can resume. This is the work we are focussed on urgently. Simultaneously, we are working with the contractor team to further assess the root issue, outline corrective actions, and improve communication and risk analysis to minimize any further impacts of the renovation work.

The team is working on a multi-pronged approach to address the various conditions that led to this situation:

• The contractor brought the facility’s new HVAC system online.
• The pool was drained for its annual maintenance.
• Two large, industrial dehumidifiers have been sourced along with a large diesel generator to power the dehumidifiers. These are not available within the Lower Mainland as the size of the arena requires extremely powerful equipment not available here. The company with the stronger, more detailed proposal was selected, which includes a combination of large dehumidifiers, air handling unit, generator and chiller. 

   

   

• The specialized equipment is being transported to Squamish. Due diligence has been an important part of this process in order to ensure the specialized equipment, once in place, will not impede ice users returning to the arena and changerooms.

  A mechanical engineer was brought in to review and validate this plan.
• Replacement of components for the existing site dehumidifiers to improve performance and efficiency, is also underway, with specialty parts being flown in.
• The temporary ‘hoarding wall’ between the arena and the arena lobby was shored up to create a greater separation of the environmental conditions on each side. The effectiveness of the separation continues to be analysed in conjunction with the other measures and will be enhanced if required.
• The process to replace the Zamboni bay garage door is underway, which is acknowledged to be a contributing factor in temperature fluctuations.
• Next steps are to explore options to improve the temporary entrance conditions (north east corner/directly accessing arena from the outside), including consideration of a temporary container vestibule (air bubble entrance) to assist in managing airflow and temperature fluctuations.

Arena programming has been cancelled through, Friday, September 12. Timelines are not yet confirmed and we will continue to provide updates to the community.

At this stage of the project, pausing construction would not help the current condition. The arena lobby renovations need to proceed so the missing partition wall can be reinstated and the mechanical systems can be restored to full capacity as quickly as possible.

This Phase 1 renovation sets us up well for future expansion of the recreation centre. This is a $21M project, with close to $12M received in a grant from Infrastructure Canada, through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.

This phase will see:

• Major upgrades to the heating/cooling reclaim system in the arena and pool
• Roof insulation replacement in the arena
• High efficiency air filter installed
• Accessibility improvements
• Arena changeroom renovation
• New 3,900 sq ft customer service area
• New elevator for second floor access
• Second floor mezzanine renovation
• Lobby renovation
• Addition of universal washrooms

This work is defined by what the grant allows, and is an important first step to retrofitting and increasing capacity of the operating systems while ensuring an accessible site. This work is foundational, before we are able to expand. We acknowledge there is more work to do to meet the growing needs of the community.

Council and staff recognize and acknowledge the community requests for an expanded pool and second sheet of ice. These items come with significant price tags, and various funding sources will be required. Grant funding from other levels of government is a primary mechanism anticipated to help fund Brennan Park renovations.

Budget discussions for the upcoming five year plan begin in October. This will be an opportunity for Council and Staff to discuss all District needs and wants, and the trade-offs associated with each.

• Upgrades/expansions can be paced and staged as funding is available.
• The existing recreation centre can continue to function while upgrades and expansion take place.
• Greenhouse Gas emissions from demolishing a building and rebuilding are significantly higher than upgrading/expanding.

• With recent Councils facing a situation where 75% of municipal facilities were at end-of-life, essential service facilities were prioritized in a Real Estate and Facilities Strategy and Master Plan. In 2017 the District commenced an unprecedent period of facility analysis, design and construction and the first three facilities to be replaced were Squamish’s two fire halls and public works yard (currently underway).
• Brennan Park Recreation Centre was identified as requiring external funding for its upgrades. This is because:
  • Of the three categories of facilities, it is Core (the second ranked category), not Critical which are facilities that deliver essential services such as fire protection, water, waste water treatment, road safety, flood management (the top ranked category).
  • Considering all facility replacement/upgrade needs, external funding sources are required to close the financial gap between needs and available funds.
  • Such external funding can include provincial and/or federal grant programs, sponsorships and partnerships.
  • Recreation centre projects are strong candidates for this type of funding (versus essential services facilities noted above).

No such offers have been received. 

• Over decades, there was a lack of investment in planning and budgeting for future facility replacements. Historically, common practice was to focus on short term tax strategies and keep taxes low for residents at the time. While these decisions were well-received at the time, hard decisions about long-term planning and infrastructure investment were put off, creating a monumental task for future Councils and taxpayers.
• A referendum in 2005 to borrow $20 million for a new ice rink and other recreational facilities failed with 73.6% of voters in opposition. Voters reject $20M facilities referendum - Squamish Chief
• 2011 saw the beginning of a forward-looking strategy whereby approval of a long-term financial plan laid the foundation for future Councils to prepare for infrastructure and facilities replacement. This included identifying significant shortfalls in flood hazard management, technology transformation, infrastructure renewal, and aging municipal facilities.
• Recent Councils and District staff have worked hard to address shortfalls created by the past, and simultaneously respond to the rapid growth that has transformed Squamish.
• In 2017/18, significant facility investments were identified in the Real Estate & Facilities Strategy and Master Plan (REFMP).
• District facilities were categorized into three groups:
  • Critical (Essential Services for day-to-day operations, community safety, emergency response), such as the Fire Halls and Public Works.
  • Core (important community services), such as Brennan Park Recreation Centre.
  • Support (based on community wants and needs but not solely in the District’s mandate), such as arts and culture facilities.  
• Two critical/essential service facilities have been replaced (two fire halls) and a third is under construction (public works) with a completion date of spring 2026.
• Looking ahead, the REFMP identifies the need to begin rebuilding financial reserves for the next generation of facility replacements 25+ years from now, once the current facility backlog is addressed.