The Town of Didsbury has announced that the main ice surface at the Didsbury Memorial Complex will remain unavailable for the 2024/2025 season. Efforts to restore it with a rental chiller unit have failed.
The update was shared in a Friday press release, following weeks of work to implement the plan approved earlier this month.
At a Special Council Meeting on January 6, 2025, the Council approved a contract for the use of a rental chiller unit to allow ice to be reinstalled. The decision was made to allocate funding "for the use of local youth and skaters and salvage what we could of the skating season," according to the January 7 press release.
The restoration's target date was "on or before February 1, 2025."
"We are looking forward to welcoming back our facility user groups," stated Mayor Rhonda Hunter at the time.
However, the Town confirmed in its January 24 press release that the plan was unsuccessful.
"Once the contractor began the process of setting the unit up and connecting to the existing system, it became apparent that it would not work as proposed," the release stated. Despite "fully exploring a number of different options,” no workable solution was found. As a result, “installing ice prior to replacing the condenser is no longer an option for the arena."
The challenges for the facility began in December 2024, when the ice was removed from both the arena and curling rink "following the discovery of an ammonia leak in the condenser."
This ammonia leak not only required the immediate removal of ice but also disrupted activities for user groups, forcing arena and curling rink users to cancel games and practices. Local teams and skaters sought alternative solutions.
Support from neighbouring communities has been instrumental in helping displaced skaters continue their winter activities.
"We are thankful that Didsbury’s skaters continue to have a place to enjoy their winter sport, and we are grateful to our neighbouring communities for stepping in to offer their facilities and ice times to accommodate Didsbury’s skaters," said Hunter.
Additionally, the January 7 release explained that "the leisure ice and curling rink ice will not be restored due to power capacity at the Memorial Complex. "
This limitation prevents the facility from supporting multiple ice surfaces under the current system, further challenging ice restoration efforts.
Mayor Hunter expressed regret over the rental chiller’s failure:
"To have ice installed for the use of local youth and skaters and salvage what we could of the skating season, it is disheartening to now relay this disappointing message," she said.
Hunter also acknowledged the understanding shown by Didsbury residents throughout the process.
"Council and Administration extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all user groups for their understanding and support during what has been a very impactful situation on all of their members and their hockey, skating, and curling seasons," she added. "We feel the loss of the access to our facilities right along with you."
Looking ahead, the Council has approved the purchase of a new condenser unit, which is scheduled to be installed in the summer of 2025 and operational by the start of the next season.
While the failure of the rental chiller was disappointing, the Town emphasized its commitment to long-term solutions.
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