Chestermere Recreation Centre to Close Over Safety Concerns
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Rocky View County is taking steps to affect the closure of Chestermere’s recreation centre on Friday at 5 p.m. due to safety concerns with the building.
A recent structural analysis warned a portion of the facility’s roof was at risk of failure if it was subjected to a heavy snow load. With wet, heavy snow expected this weekend, Rocky View County made the decision that closure of the facility was the best course of action at this time in order to ensure public safety.
“We don’t have all the answers right now, but we simply won’t take risks with people’s lives,” said Rocky View County Reeve Greg Boehlke. “We will be working with community partners to determine the long term future of the building, but as of Friday, it is closed until further notice.”
The structural analysis of the recreation centre, and a subsequent safety inspection by the City of Chestermere, were prompted by a number of roof collapses and issues at similar facilities in Calgary and other municipalities. The roof of the building’s Red Rink was found to be insufficient, and it is unclear at this time how that might impact the safety of the rest of the building.
“We understand how this impacts users of the facility, but we hope they appreciate that we have their safety in mind, and that this is the most responsible course of action,” Reeve Boehlke said.
The Chestermere recreation centre is primarily used by Calgary and Chestermere residents, but owned by Rocky View County. For decades, the County has leased the facility to the Chestermere Regional Community Association at no charge, and provided millions of dollars in additional funding to the facility as part of the County’s many contributions to regional recreation.
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