Hockey season got started in Castlegar without a hitch, however a lot of work was happening behind the scenes to get the rink ready. Recreation Manager – Castlegar and District Community Complex, Jim Crockett, says the new plate and frame chiller was installed this summer at the complex.
“It’s quite a push to get that in as you can imagine. With the Fernie incident there’s a lot of work being done around the province and country, in fact. So there’s quite a back log of trying to get this work completed.” Crockett says crews worked long hours to get the project finished in time for the Rebels camp in August, but the ice went in and things are now up and running.
Crockett says safety upgrades are also underway at the Pioneer Arena and will be finished next month. “It all has to do with safety for the employees and the public down there. That work is underway and our intention is to have that up and operating for our normal start time. We’re hoping for the 22nd of October if all goes well, but if not then it will be the 29th.”
During the two-week shut down at the pool safety improvements were completed there as well. The work wasn’t major but included some corrections to the chlorine system, Crocket explains. “We had an inspection done in late winter, early spring so we had a directive from Interior Health to do a number of corrections on our Chlorine system. Nothing dramatic but it was time consuming and we had to get some things ordered. Change around some of plumbing to make sure we were alarmed the way they wanted it alarmed. We didn’t have the equipment in the right places that they wanted it, so we moved all that and it’s all ready to go now.”
New lights were installed at the pool as well and Crockett says it’s much brighter in the building now.