Wentworth arena closed until spring after fire, needs 'millions' in repairs

After a fire Monday morning that caused "millions" of dollars in damage, Hamilton's Wentworth Sports Complex says it will be closed until "at least the spring." Its management also says the fire, which was initially reported to have started in a Zamboni ice clearing machine, actually started from a spark caused during renovations.

"We have learned the fire was a devastating accident inadvertently caused by one of the contractors doing work on the building early Monday morning," said a release issued by the complex on Thursday evening. "A spark from the contractor's work smoldered and ignited The fire spread to the Zamboni and destroyed a garage, tool room and the roof over some hockey change rooms."

On Monday, the Hamilton Fire Department reported that the facility suffered "heavy fire damage" in parts and "significant" smoke damage throughout, and posited that the fire began in a Zamboni. It also inaccurately called the facility a triple-rink, when in fact it contains two ice rinks, a restaurant and two indoor sports fields.

In addition to the clarification on how the fire began, Thursday's message from Wentworth also included an update on the cost, saying "the facility will require millions of dollars of restoration and rebuilding." It said "major" renovations were underway when the fire occurred.

"Wentworth Sports Complex is a family-owned and run business with staff who care deeply about the work we do," said the release. "The outpouring of support and love from customers and the community has been an incredible comfort during this painful time. We are a resilient family and, along with our staff, are determined that Wentworth will return stronger than ever."

'If you touch anything, you'll get black fingers'

In a CBC Hamilton interview earlier this week, Soccer World owner Duncan Macintosh said staff who were on site when the fire began left with things like laptops still in their offices, and that the fire severely damaged a 1,200 square foot section of the building and melted the Zamboni to the floor.

"The damage is extensive," he said, describing black soot covering every surface in the building. "If you touch anything, you'll get black fingers."

He said he's been comfortedby how many community members and customers have reached out to help or offer well-wishes.

"My phone has blown up," he said. "It's heartwarming."

Since the fire, Wentworth staff have been working to find alternate space for the numerous sports leagues that were scheduled to use the facility over the winter. Many of the field programs, such as indoor soccer, baseball and football, will move to Soccer World on Frid Street, which Macintosh also owns. The company is looking to rent ice elsewhere for skating and hockey programs, he said.

"Our staff will work to find solutions for all Wentworth customers," added Thursday's release.

'They will get through this'

Some of the leagues being displaced from the Wentworth facility include Queer Hockey Hamilton, which was scheduled to host its first league season there this fall, and the Hamilton Women's Hockey League, a long-standing tenant believed to be the largest women's recreation league in Canada at more than 600 members on 46 teams, according to its leadership.

Organizers Sharlene Saunders and Penny Lefebour say the league has been able to find space at Gateway arena in Stoney Creek,after reaching out to other arenas as soon as they heard about the fire. They will still have to replace jerseys for all the teams, which were stored at Wentworth.

Lefebour said the initial shock of learning about the fire was replaced by an onslaught of messages from league members wondering what was happening, and the need to rush to sort it out. "I was kind of having a nervous breakdown," she told CBC Hamilton.

But she also praised Macintosh and his team at Wentworth for their support through this, and over the recent years since he bought the facility, saying league members have appreciated the "time and money" he invested to update the rink, change rooms and bar. It's a shame to see all that work damaged, she added, noting she has confidence that the arena will come back better than ever.

"They will get through this," she said.