THUNDER BAY — Delaney Arena is closed effective immediately due to a cooling system failure.
City staff on Wednesday noticed a significant drop in the amount of brine, the fluid that runs in the piping below the rink surface that keeps the ice frozen, in the arena's refrigeration system.
City facilities services manager Franco Marchese said staff topped up the brine level on Wednesday, however the levels continued to drop.
“[Wednesday] night the system was fully pressurized and again the levels have dropped by the morning,” he said in a statement.
City officials said staff and the refrigeration contractor will be isolating the lines to find the leak. Once the leak is found, repairs will be made.
The city said a definitive reopening date can't be provided until the magnitude of the situation is fully understood.
"We know that this is frustrating for people who had ice times cancelled or relocated,” city manager Norm Gale said in a statement. “City staff moved quickly into action to determine the problem, and we are working hard so that this can be resolved as quickly as possible.”
Delaney Arena had been scheduled to host games during this weekend's Westfort Hockey tournament, with those games having been moved to Neebing Arena.
City officials said as many other booked ice rentals have been moved as possible, but are limited by ice availability at other city facilities.
