LangfordB次元官网网址檚 new ice rink opens Wednesday; bowling to roll in October
Fresh ice will have a few fleeting moments of peace before young hockey players dig into LangfordB次元官网网址檚 rink at City Centre Park tomorrow, the first new ice in the region in six years.
Late last week crews built up layers of ice to create one and a quarter inch thick slab before the NHL-sized surface was painted and lined.
The 500 seats are installed, but on Friday the Zamboni was still in itB次元官网网址檚 shipping crate and a few dressing rooms were a work in progress.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e pushed it to get the kids on the ice,B次元官网网址� said Langford Coun. Lanny Seaton, chair of the cityB次元官网网址檚 parks and recreation committee. B次元官网网址淭he guys have worked feverishly to get this done. IB次元官网网址檓 optimistic weB次元官网网址檒l be open Wednesday.B次元官网网址�
LangfordB次元官网网址檚 $14.1-million Sportsplex will offer welcome relief for busy ice sheets at West Shore parks and rec as the hockey season ramps up B次元官网网址� kids from the overburdened Juan de Fuca minor hockey will have the honour of breaking in the ice.
Entry to the arena is restricted to scheduled users for now, but the ice rink will quickly become a hive of activity B次元官网网址� ice time is booked solid for the next eight months, said City Centre Park operator Kristin St. Cyr.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a few spots open, but there has been high demand,B次元官网网址� St. Cyr said.
As construction winds down, Accent Refrigeration will start tuning its groundbreaking energy recovery system, which promises to capture 100 per cent of heat expelled from the ice plant.
A bed of sand a foot under the ice will absorb and feed heat to high-efficiency heat pump systems that warm running water and change rooms, and melt ice peeled off by the Zamboni.
Expelled heat will help power the air handling systems, which will mercifully exhaust the stink of sweaty hockey gear.
B次元官网网址淲e might not use it all in the summer, but in the winter we will,B次元官网网址� said Greg Hillman, with Accent. B次元官网网址淭his system will recover all the heat and use a number of creative ways to heat the entire building.B次元官网网址�
The heat capture and distribution system is complex, with hundreds of components and control points that need to work in sync. Hillman said it will take time to fine tune the system.
B次元官网网址淥nce we have a full year behind us we can see how many kilowatts are consumed compared to similar rinks,B次元官网网址� he said.
On the other side of the wall from the rink, the bowling centre isnB次元官网网址檛 quite ready to roll, but itB次元官网网址檚 getting close. Twenty lanes are installed and levelled, as are rows of industrial looking pin-wracking machines.
Surrey-based XCalibur Bowling under the name Planex has a 20-year contract to operate the centre for Langford.
Crews are working to complete the cedar facade on the building, giving it a definite West Coast feel. The bowling centre has a hard Oct. 22 opening date to reintroduce 10-pin bowling to the region, later than Langford would have preferred.
Design changes in the kitchen and lounge have delayed progress.
B次元官网网址淭he lounge area has taken a long time. ItB次元官网网址檚 always that way with new buildings,B次元官网网址� Seaton said. B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檙e getting down to the nitty-gritty now. The place is starting to look good.B次元官网网址�
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
