Ice returns to Prince Rupert Civic Centre

A temporary fix to the civic centre's chiller mechanism has provided for ice at the city's only skating rink, a much welcome arrival for the Prince Rupert Minor Hockey Association, Prince Rupert Figure Skating Club and the city's entry in the CIHL, the Prince Rupert Rampage.

Local users had opportunity for their first skate of the year on Wednesday, with the various groups that use the Civic Centre now at least able to schedule practice sessions and games.

The Rampage, like those in minor hockey and figure skating had been scrambling to find practice time outside of the city, for the CIHL squad a trip to Kitimat for a few sessions helped get them ready for the upcoming season. 

Because of the ice issue at the Civic Centre the Rampage has been forced to play the front part of their 2012 CIHL season, five games in total, on the road.

As we outlined last month, further repairs will be required in November as a permanent solution to the Civic Centre's woes will be put in place, the estimated cost of the new refrigeration unit is somewhere around 120,000 dollars. The temporary repair was set to cost roughly 15,000 dollars.

CFTK TV 7-- Rupert Figure Skating Club (video)
CFTK TV 7-- Rupert Ice Back (video)
The Northern View-- Arena reopened on Wednesday after ice chiller equipment was repaired

Civic Centre "fix" could see ice back at rink next week

A temporary fix to the ammonia pipes in the refrigeration system of the Prince Rupert Civic Centre could see ice back in the complex by next week, a prospect that no doubt will lessen the load of local users such as Prince Rupert Minor Hockey, the Prince Rupert Figure Skating Club and the local CIHL team the Prince Rupert Rampage.

Those three groups have had to make alternative arrangements for training and such with the breakdown of the ice making equipment, word of its repair, all be it temporary will at least allow them to get some portion of their season's underway.

The temporary solution is set to cost roughly 15,000 dollars, a cost that Rudy Kelly of the City's recreation department tells the Northern View will be covered by Prince Rupert Minor Hockey.

The rink will however still require the major overhaul of its ice making system, with a 120,000 dollar chiller and compressor destined to be installed in November, a move which require local users to do without the ice again while installation takes place.

Further testing of the temporary system will take place over the next few days, with a hopeful debut of ice at the Civic Centre planned for Wednesday, September 26.

CBC Daybreak North-- Prince Rupert ice rink runs out of ice (audio report)
The Northern View-- Rink will be working again by next Wednesday
The Northern View-- City hoping that a temporary fix can get ice rink working in a week
The Northern View-- Ice not expected in Prince Rupert arena until early November