The Brandt Centre has been the host of many national and international events over the last four decades since it was built in 1977.
This week, it was the home of Montana’s Brier. But the stadium has started to show its age on a national stage.
On Tuesday, a leak in the roof caused a game to be delayed after dripping on the ice and on Thursday, a water main crack caused washrooms and concession stands on the southside of the stadium to close for the day.
“We have recurring issue every year with a leaky roof in here,” Scott Turner, the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) operations vice president said.
“As we identify problems we take corrective actions and we’ve had lots of roofers and different repair people up there repairing it as needed.”
CurlSask executive director Steve Turner says the building has seen its fair share of people come through over the last week, and overall, its done a pretty good job.
“The building has had a really good turnout of people in the last few days of the Brier,” Turner explained. “It’s put the old building through a pretty good workout. There’s been 12 to 14 thousand people a day.”
For Brier fans, the problems experienced this week are kind of to be expected. But it isn’t taking their enjoyment away.
“It shows it’s time that maybe we upgrade to a different facility,” Brier fan Tyler Wolfe said. “But spectators are spectators, and everybody loves curling. And you know what? People are going to fill it up no matter what.”
Fan Dallas Leduc said the issues are just part of the experience.
“Not everything can go on without a hitch and I mean this is getting to be an old building,” Leduc said. “The fact that we can host something like this here in an older facility like this is amazing.”
The Brier at the Brandt Centre will continue into the weekend, before the final games are played on Sunday evening.
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