Opening of Stuart Park rink delayed

You may have to wait just a little bit longer to lace up those skates.

The Stuart Park skating rink in downtown Kelowna will not open as originally planned on December 10th after a leak was detected in the rink’s refrigeration system.

The leak means the system is not able to make ice.

However, Andrew Gibbs from the City of Kelowna Parks Department says they still do not know how or why the leak happened or where exactly it is located.

He says crews have pinpointed the origins of the leak to the southeast corner of the rink but adds they are working slowly so as not to damage the underground components of the rink.

Gibbs also says the estimated time for repair will depend on the nature of the problem.

“If it’s something simple like a loose clamp or something like that, you can fix that and cover the concrete fairly quickly,” Gibbs said. “If it’s something, in the worst case, systemic or it’s something we can’t see immediately, then it will take longer.”

The rink will be closed until further notice.

Gibbs also says there is a possibility the rink could be closed during the Christmas holidays if the leak cannot be located and fixed.