Sud-Ouest arena to get overhaul

The arena of the Centre recréatif St-Charles is going green with a multimilliondollar makeover. Over the next year, the 54-year-old arena will be equipped with a new, ecologically friendly cooling system that uses ammonia instead of freon gas, which damages the ozone layer.

“We are going to replace the refrigeration system with one that is much more efficient. This rink was built in 1960 so, although we have maintained it, we still have some serious work to do,” said Benoit Dorais, mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough.

Dorais unveiled the details of the project alongside Liberal MNA for St-Henri–StAnne, Marguerite Blais, and Pierrefonds-Roxboro mayor Dimitrios Jim Beis, at the centre Wednesday.

“It’s extraordinary news,” said Blais, who grew up around the corner on Knox St. “I used to skate here in 1967. I’d lace up my skates and put on my pink mohair sweater. It’s a very important piece of infrastructure for the kids in the neighbourhood.”

The renovations will also aim to help the aging centre meet the environmental standards of the Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) silver certificate, a widely used rating system for green buildings that ranges from bronze to platinum.

So far, nine other Montreal arenas have already under- gone renovations, in part to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The city plans to modernize all 34 of its arenas housing 40 skating rinks by 2020. All told, the projects will cost roughly $300 million.

The public health department was consulted to make sure that the ammonia refrigeration systems would be safe. The cooling systems in the rebuilt arenas “shouldn’t present any risks, even if there is a major leak, because they use a small volume of ammonia,” said Luc Lefebvre, a toxicologist at the l’Agence de la santé et services sociaux de Montréal.

In large concentrations, ammonia gas is an irritant that can cause “light to extreme symptoms affecting the eyes, nose and throat,” he explained.

The Sud-Ouest borough is splitting the $7.2-million bill for the project with the city, which is covering just under $6 million. The renovations will also include refurbishing the locker rooms and entry hall, as well as a new ventilation system.

Some residents complained that the renovations wouldn’t include the facade of the building or the swimming pool. “We have to make due with money we have. In 2010, we did an evaluation and found that we needed $12 million just for the centre,” Dorais said.

“We have to go step-bystep.”