New ammonia ice rink regulations wont affect local rinks

New regulations are on the way after a deadly ammonia leak at an arena in Fernie in October 2017.

Facilities that use ammonia, like ice and curling rinks, will have to be staffed 24 hours a day beginning January 19th. However both Squamish and Whistler will not be affected by the new rules.

The District of Squamish has confirmed that while their rink at Brennan Park Recreation Centre does use ammonia, the new regulations will not affect their facility, as they are considered a ‘risk-assessed facility’ – meaning they already have safety and equipment monitoring in place that does not require 24/7 staffing.

The District will be adding additional safety measures including blue strobe light alarms around the facility, additional signage and equipment testing as well as modifying evacuation procedures. Wind socks will also be added to assist with directional evacuation of the building.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler says their ice arena at Meadow Park Sports Centre also operates at a higher safety standard and will not be affected by the new rules. The rink maintains a ‘risk assessed’ status and has been validated by the local safety officer. The outdoor rink at Whistler Olympic Plaza is a refrigeration based plant, not ammonia and would not be affected by the coming changes.