Tyne Valley rink reopens Thursday

Facility manager wonders if latest closure was necessary

TYNE VALLEY- The Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre is back in business.

The arena reopened Thursday morning after a series of hourly air quality tests performed on Wednesday generated good results.

The first ice rental was over the noon hour.

Facility manager Adam MacLennan said they will be trying their best to have approximately 80 hours of ice rentals, lost during November and December shutdowns, made up by the end of January.

While relieved the facility has been able to reopen, MacLennan is still questioning whether this week’s shutdown was really necessary.

The rink closed its doors Monday afternoon on a recommendation from Environmental Health after results from air quality tests performed on Saturday indicated elevated carbon monoxide levels and low levels of nitrogen dioxide.

More tests were performed over an eight-hour period on Wednesday. Those tests were meant to simulate a busy day of ice rentals, and the readings were all fine.

At one point on Wednesday, MacLennan noted readings were higher outside the arena than inside the facility, and that has led to speculation that Saturday’s test results might have been impacted by the day’s temperature and high level of humidity.

“It leaves a lot of limbo out there; it leaves a lot of questions,” said MacLennan.

The unit used to perform the tests had to be flown in from Ontario, he said.

MacLennan said the arena is in discussions with the provincial government seeking assistance in covering losses incurred during closures in November and December.

The November closure was ordered after several people who had used the facility went to emergency rooms reporting respiratory problems.

That issue was blamed on the arena’s furnace, but MacLennan said no issues were identified this time.