Quote:
Originally Posted by Pugsley
If I understand the engineering involved, this likely has an underground coolant system in order to keep the ice frozen - something Fredericton may not need as it is colder there and not exposed to warm water along a salty and ice-free bay. Many of Toronto's outdoor facilities use these as the average temperatures are above freezing many days in winter. Perhaps they are simply running into some technical issues as this is the first year of operation. I am sure that there is a reasonable explanation and my guess is that it is likely due to the above being a factor - where the contractor is likely testing and modifying things for first-time use. I don't think there is another example in Atlantic Canada where an ice rink with coolant is in operation so close to the ocean. So, I suspect there are tweaks being made.
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Freddy actually has 2 outdoor rinks with cooling, so they can keep the rinks open even during warm spells.
The first was the Naasis rink on the north side, near the Superstore. I think it inherited the cooling system from one of the arenas (Lady Beaverbrook?) when it was renovated.
The other is the ring at Officers Square that opened for skating last year (and for this year last week). That is a brand new coolant system. The Officer Square renovations intentionally planned on a refrigerated rink to allow for longer skating times.
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