(Facebook/Town of Hudson Bay)

By Cam Lee

No ice at Hudson Bay arena

Chiller damage leads to ice removal at Wally Dawyduk Arena in Hudson Bay

Feb 6, 2024 | 4:58 PM

Residents of Hudson Bay won’t be skating at their rink anytime soon.

The ice has been taken out at Wally Dawyduk Arena after some equipment issues.

“Last week one of our ice plants went down and it was found out that our chiller was damaged,” Town Administrator Amanda Purves told northeastNOW. “Unfortunately it was only a matter of time before our second ice plant went down and our chiller is completely out of commission now.”

A notice on social media has alerted residents to the situation at Wally Dawyduk Arena (Facebook/Town of Hudson Bay)

Purves said the town initially hoped they were able to keep a natural ice in the arena, but the recent warm weather made that decision for them.

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The search for a replacement chiller has also not been easy.

“From what we’re being told there’s really only one manufacturer that makes these chillers that we need, and it’s most likely months before we will be able to get a new one,” said Purves.

The wait for a chiller means an uncertain time frame for the return of ice to the arena. The annual summer hockey school in Hudson Bay could be in jeopardy because of the breakdown.

“We have a couple of refrigeration companies coming to do site visits to hopefully get a better answer for us on a delivery date for a brand new chiller, but right now… we’re not able to make any of those decisions for our summer hockey school, unfortunately.”

The hockey school is usually held sometime between mid-July and mid-August.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK