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The closure of ice arena at Brennan Park has frustrated local families, with sports groups warning that the prolonged shutdown is threatening youth sports in the community.
The District of Squamish shut down the arena on September 2, citing unsafe ice conditions caused by high humidity inside the facility. All ice programs remain cancelled through at least September 12, with no firm reopening date. For the community’s only sheet of ice, the shutdown has left hundreds of athletes — from minor hockey players to competitive figure skaters — without a local facility, forcing them to seek ice time hours away.
Leah Hodges, president of Squamish Minor Hockey Association (SMHA), says the impacts have been serious and far-reaching.
“Rep tryouts, player assessments and team rostering has been delayed,” she said. “We’ve had to scramble to secure ice outside Squamish this weekend at four to five times the usual cost, in Burnaby, Langley, and North Vancouver. Families now face long commutes on weekends and evenings, which puts pressure on kids, parents, and volunteers. Some players may withdraw from hockey entirely because of these disruptions, which is devastating for a community association like ours.”
According to Hodges, the problems could have been mitigated had the District acted earlier. “We raised concerns as early as May about the impact renovations could have on the ice,” she said, pointing to heat and humidity entering through emergency exits. “Instead of planning solutions in advance, measures are only being taken after problems become critical.”
“It Was Very Humid, There Was Water Dripping”: Firsthand Account from SMHA Board Member Conny Bonthron
Other SMHA leaders say the situation was deteriorating weeks before the shutdown. Conny Bonthron, a board member, said humidity was visibly damaging the rink from the first day of preseason camps on August 18. Water dripped from rafters, glass panes fogged over, and coaches reported sore lungs from spending long hours in damp conditions.
“It was very humid, there was water dripping from the ceiling rafters, and holes in the ice because of this constant dripping,” Bonthron said. “The glass panes were all fogged up, and you could not see from the stands, and there was a constant fog on the ice.”
She described a patchwork wall — a single sheet of plywood with three holes covered in duct tape — separating the ice rink from 30-degree outdoor temperatures. “If you stood at the south end of the rink, you could feel the heat flowing in,” she said.
By August 23, Bonthron said, rink conditions had worsened further. Parents were using paper towels and squeegees to clear fog from the glass so coaches could see players during tryouts. “We had to get the Zamboni to do another clean… there were ice chunks all over that were dangerous for the players.”
SMHA asked why the arena’s Zamboni garage door couldn’t be used to help manage the temperature. “We were told the door has been broken for a year and a half without a budget to fix it,” Bonthron said.
Skate Sea2Sky Skating Club Cancels Programs, Cites Revenue Loss
The skating community has also been impacted. Kari-Ann McDonald of the Skate Sea2Sky Skating Club said all programs have been postponed, and the club’s largest annual fundraiser — the December Ice Show — will not proceed as scheduled.
“Our competitive skaters are preparing for a major competition in early October, and the current disruptions are significantly impacting their ability to train effectively,” Kari-Ann said. “These ongoing challenges are resulting in a substantial loss of revenue for our non-profit organization.”
She called for increased funding, long-term facility upgrades, and improved maintenance. “There appears to be a concerning lack of accountability when issues are mismanaged,” she said.
Some parents say the rink closure is not just an operational failure — it’s a symptom of deeper neglect in a fast-growing town. Sarah Norman, whose child plays hockey, noted that Squamish, despite having more than 30,000 residents, still has just one ice sheet. In contrast, smaller B.C. communities, such as Salmon Arm and Cranbrook, each have three.
“Squamish trails far behind every comparable community in BC when it comes to recreational infrastructure,” she said. “This is especially alarming given that ours is one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in Canada.”
On September 4, the District of Squamish issued a statement stating that staff are working to procure specialized industrial equipment to address the humidity issue. The current dehumidification system, they said, is older and under strain due to high outside temperatures and the ongoing renovation project. “We understand how extremely frustrating this is to our community ice users,” the statement read. “This is a high-priority and we will continue to keep the community informed along the way.”
But for families like those involved with SMHA and the Skate Sea2Sky Skating Club, the damage is already done — and the solutions need to go beyond temporary fixes. Bonthron and Hodges say Squamish needs new rinks, not just repairs.
“There is a dedicated group of parents who have been working on a second rink,” said Bonthron, who urged residents to support the initiative through secondrinksquamish.ca. “This town has grown. We need to grow with it.”
“Poor planning doesn’t just inconvenience families,” Hodges said. “It undermines access to sport, health, and opportunities for kids and adults.”
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