Nine months after the Jack Setters Arena in southeast Calgary was suddenly shut down due to safety issues, the sports facility is back in business.
The arena reopened this week after the city forced it to close last December, over fears a build-up of snow could cause the roof to collapse.
The building was one of several facilities the city reviewed following the Fairview Arena roof collapse in February 2018.
Repairs to the roof started in mid-July and wrapped up at the end of August, the city said.
Jack Setters is heavily used for minor and adult hockey programs, ringette, as well as figure and public skating, according to the Millican Ogden Community Association, which operates the arena.
Rick Smith, president of the community association, said the closure last winter took them by surprise, adding that not knowing if the facility would reopen this fall was stressful.
“Certainly from our perspective and, again from our organization’s perspective, it’s a big deal because, quite frankly, we lost all of our revenue for all of last season and the summer months, the summer programs,” he said.
“So that was big because we still have all of the operating costs but we didn’t have any of the revenues, and we rely on those revenues.”
Once the work got underway things moved pretty quickly, Smith said, adding he’s happy they now have a building that’s safe and secure just in time for the busy fall and winter seasons.
According to Susan Specht, acting manager of building infrastructure with the city, the roof repairs should keep the building safe and operational for another 30 years.
WATCH (Tue, Feb 20, 2018): Calgary fire crews are on scene of a roof collapse at Fairview Arena.
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