The ice arena at Brennan Park Recreation Centre has been temporarily closed as of Tuesday, September 2, due to unsafe surface conditions caused by high levels of heat and humidity, the District of Squamish announced.
According to a notice, the closure stems from ongoing renovation work that required removing a wall separating the rink from outside air. This has led to increased humidity levels inside the arena, making the ice surface unsafe for public use. All programming and public access to the arena have been cancelled until further notice.
District staff are currently working to address the issue by sourcing high-capacity industrial dehumidifiers to bring humidity back to acceptable levels. Once that is achieved, staff will begin repairing the ice surface to restore safe conditions. However, a reopening date has not been confirmed due to uncertainties around equipment delivery.
“We understand the impacts that unexpected closures have on user groups and the broader community, which is why these decisions are only made with the utmost caution,” said Mayor Armand Hurford. “Our community’s safety is paramount, and we are working hard to find the best solution to this unfortunate situation.”
Staff are also exploring changes to the renovation schedule to reinstall the removed wall sooner than planned. The situation may improve further when the swimming pool is drained for annual maintenance starting Wednesday, September 3, which is expected to help reduce humidity in the arena.
As a parent of 2 hockey players and as someone who grew up here and played at Brennan park it is by far the worst facility in the lower mainland maybe even BC.