Arenas closed at Seton YMCA after ammonia leak

Emergency crews were called to the new YCMA in Seton in southeast Calgary early Wednesday morning after a small ammonia leak was detected.

Contractors were in the building when the alarm sounded at about 4:20 a.m., the YMCA said in a statement.

The building was safely evacuated.No one was hurt.

Calgary Fire Department Battalion Chief Alistair Robin saidcrews were able to isolate the source of the leak in the room that services the hockey rink.

"So ammonia is corrosive and so it does over time sort of wear away at the mechanical part of how it's transported," he said. "And so they'll repair that, either a gasket or some sort of fitting, and it will be good to go."

The facility is now open, but the ice rinks have been closed for necessary maintenance, YMCA Calgary said in an emailed statement.

"This evening's shutdown is a proactive measure taken to ensure the ice plant can run effectively and at full capacity to the benefit of the participants who use it. The temporary closure affects both ice surfaces for at least the next 24 hours as the necessary work is completed by our teams," the YMCA said.

The facility's other programs will continue as usual.

The $193-million Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton opened last month, billed as the largest YMCA in the world. It has a several pools, a surf simulator, two ice rinks, three gymnasiums, a 200-metre track and an art gallery.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS|Killer's message 'of hope' at Calgary teachers' convention sparks criticism
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |TSB says train began to move on its own before fatal derailment
• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance