Sundre and area hockey as well as figure skating fans will no longer have to bundle up like arctic explorers when attending games and events at the local arena this winter.
“The number one complaint in the arena is how cold the seating area is,” said Ian James, community services manager, during council's June 27 meeting.
Some spectators come in fully bundled up with toques, gloves and heavy coats. Others are even provided carpets to sit on. Even still, they can usually barely stay for a whole period of an entire hockey game, he said.
“We have the opportunity to correct that,” he told council.
James was outlining the community services department's recommendation to upgrade the heating system at the facility for a cost of about $22,000 to be covered by a reserve.
“The major issue that we have is we have two heating systems.”
Half of the viewing area has a radiant heat tube system, while the other half is a forced air burner system. Both setups are very old and the forced air system releases moisture into the air when in use. Reducing the amount of moisture in the arena is of particular importance because the facility does not have a dehumidifier, meaning that any moisture buildup will result in poor ice quality, he said, adding town staff are reluctant to turn on the heaters for that reason.
So administrative staff recommended replacing the aging heating system with infrared tube heating, which boasts a number of benefits, including the following: heating only the structures in the room as opposed to the air as well; preventing the spread of dust or germs; eliminating drafts caused by the moving air of convection heating; preventing mould from forming; running quietly without a noisy on and off cycle; is durable and long-lasting; and perhaps most importantly offers significant savings in energy costs over traditional forms of heat.
Council carried a motion to authorize the expenditure of about $22,000 from the facilities infrastructure reserve to install the infrared heaters along the entire spectator viewing area at the Sundre arena.
James also told the Round Up the upgrades included replacing old halogen and fluorescent lights with new LED units throughout the arena.
