THUNDER BAY -- A work crew is en route from Winnipeg to help deal with an ammonia leak at the NorWest Arena.
If all goes according to plan, that work crew could have residents skating at the arena sometime Friday.
Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue and Oliver Paipoonge Fire and Emergency Services crews responded to a call about an ammonia leak at the arena on Highway 588. A rink attended working an 11 a.m. Wednesday shift alerted fire crews about the leak.
The chemical is a key ingredient in ice making.
Oliver-Paipoonge fire Capt. Shane Zimmer said they didn’t have the equipment or training to handle the leak so they turned things over to the Thunder Bay fire crews. Firefighters shut off the power to the compressors, which stopped the leak. They then shut off the ammonia supply valves from the tanks.
After an initial sweep, the arena portion of the facility is clear of ammonia but the compressor room will need a repair crew to handle the remainder of the work.
Zimmer said they are still unsure how this incident happened.
“It was established that maybe one of the pipes on the compressor seal on the pipe had let go causing the leak,” he said.
“It was all contained in the room itself. There’s some trace amounts in the compressor room, which we are taking care of.
"We’re venting that compressor room so we can do some limited work in there. We’re waiting for a repair crew from Winnipeg that handles this stuff. They’re expected to be here tonight or early tomorrow morning.”
He added that the arena will be closed Thursday but is expected to reopen as early as Friday.
