Concern expressed about air quality in Sault arenas

Two councillors are asking for an air quality study comparing the Northern Community Centre to arenas that don’t have electric Zambonis

David Helwig
a day ago

Tyler Kennedy and the Stanley Cup ride an old-school ice resurfacer at the GFL Memorial Gardens in July 2009 at what was then known as the Essar Centre. Donna Hopper/SooToday

Days after the Sault's first electric Zamboni went into service at the new Northern Community Centre twin-pad arena, city council will be asked Monday to approve a second ice resurfacer for the same facility.

The recommended purchase is a Zamboni 552AC Li with 600-volt charger and customized accessories, the same model ordered 16 months ago from Zamboni Canada Ltd. of Brantford, Ont. at a cost of $158,508.

The price is higher this year: $166,220 including a three per cent discount.

Karen Marlow, the city's manager of purchasing, says we can afford to pay for the second machine using leftover cash from the Northern Community Centre's project contingency funds.

"The new twin pad would then be fully supported by two EV units with supporting charging infrastructure, and also ensure consistency for services and repair parts at one location," Marlow says.

"This facility would truly be green infrastructure in terms of having LED lighting, a full heat recovery unit, and EV ice resurfacers."

While city councillors consider that purchase, Ward 3 Coun. Stephan Kinach and Ward 5's Corey Gardi are thinking about the people who work and play in city arenas. 

They'll be pushing Monday for an air quality study to compare our arenas with electric Zambonis to those with traditional non-electric ice resurfacers.

Here's the full text of the Kinach/Gardi resolution to be presented on Monday.

Monday's city council meeting will be live-streamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.

Arena air quality 

Mover: Coun. S. Kinach
Seconder: Coun. C. Gardi

Whereas indoor air quality is one of the main factors in long term health effects; and

Whereas indoor air quality deals with a wide range of pollutants such as asbestos, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, radon, particulate matter, etc.; and

Whereas with the introduction of the electric Zamboni we now have a major difference between arenas; and

Whereas the difference in air quality in arenas with electric and non-electric Zambonis should be compared; and

Whereas it is the city's goal to provide healthy indoor air quality in its arenas;

Now therefore be it resolved that staff be requested to report on the cost to implement an air quality study at all  city arenas for next season and provide a recommendation as to whether to undertake such a study.