Sports clubs scramble after Prescott ice rink closes for good

Sports clubs that usethe Leo BoivinCommunity Centre in Prescott, Ont., are scrambling to find new accommodations after its arena wasunexpectedly shut downearlier this week over ammonia concerns.

The decision to decommissionthe arena was made at an emergency special council meeting held Tuesday, after a failed pressure test indicated a possible ammonia leak in the rink's refrigeration system.

"It's just so sad. I was really shocked," said Alaine Chartrand, who won the national figure skating championships in 2017 and was a member of the Prescott Figure Skating Club.

"Obviously, it's a very special place for me. I've skated there for years and years and years. And often it was the last place that I would practice before I'dgo off to an international [event]."

'Completely at a loss'

Ammonia leakscan be deadly, and one that occurred at a rinkinFernie, B.C., last Octoberkilled three workers.

Prescott's town council has begun the process of identifying land for a new community centre, which could take more than two years and cost as much as$10 million.

The closure of the 51-year-old rink will seriously disrupt the operations of the Prescott Figure Skating Club, whose skaters train there roughly six months a year, according toclub presidentSandra Graham-Kirkby.

"We don't [use]more than one ice surface. We are completely at a loss," Graham-Kirkby told CBCRadio'sAll In A Day.

We would really like to maintain our identity as a club. But that's challenging at this point.- SandraGraham-Kirkby

There are clubs 15 to 20 minutes away, but Graham-Kirkbysaidmany Prescott-basedskaters and their families are used to having a conveniently-located rink in the town.

Her fears included the possibilities that skaters mightleave the sport if they don't have access to proper facilities, and that the local club could eventually be forced to disband.

"We would really like to maintain our identity as a club. But that's challenging at this point," she said.

"Figure skating is a tough sport to retain skaters."

Hockey teams out in the cold

In addition to the Prescott Figure Skating Club, there are roughly a half-dozen hockey clubs that had been usingthe Leo BoivinArena, according to the town's website.

The South Grenville Rangers tweeted their displeasure with the news of the rink closure, calling it a "sad day" for the local community.

No one with the club could be reached for comment.

The Rideau St. Lawrence Kings, a Double-A hockey club, also made use of the ice surface but only for about six hours a week, said club president Brenda Green.

The club has already been able to relocate that ice time to a nearby arena in Athens, Ont., Green said.

She said the closure was "not as big a concern" for the Kings as it would be for other clubs like the South Grenville Rangers.

The town isnow exploring other recreational uses for the building that don't require refrigeration,including indoor soccer.

Prescott, Ont., is roughly 95 kilometres south of Ottawa.

With files from Stu Mills and Trevor Pritchard