City of Edmonton facing cold reality to replace aging ice arenas

The City of Edmonton has a long road ahead to replace aging ice arenas as demand for ice time increases.

There are 22 city-owned arenas in the city and six privately owned. The city says the average age of single arenas is 57 years old and some are nearing the end of their life.

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Crestwood Arena, George S. Hughes Southside Arena, Oliver Arena, Tipton Arena and Westwood Arena were all recommended to be replaced in a report by administration in June. Back in 2007, they were also recommended to be shut down because they were too old.

The report did not specify how much it would cost to replace the six arenas.

Since 2009, five of six other aging arenas have been replaced.

Heather Seutter, director of City of Edmonton arena operations, says there haven’t been any serious mechanical failures to warrant closing an arena. There are other factors the city takes into consideration.

“We look at all the dressing room spaces … we look at the seating, the capacity, the lobby spaces, the parking,” Seutter told CTV Edmonton.

She says the foundation for the George S. Hughes Southside Arena is intact, but the city’s supervisor of arena operations says parts of the rink aren’t up to modern standards such as accessibility.

Edmonton’s deputy city manager, Jennifer Falaman, says there are 31 ice sheets, which equals one sheet for every 38,709 people. In Calgary, there are 54 ice sheets, or one for every 22,777 people.

As Edmonton’s population continues to grow and more areas develop, more arenas are needed.

“There continues to be high demand in Edmonton for ice and concrete bookings. Prime time usage is high during the peak winter season at a rate of 89 per cent this past season,” Flaman wrote to council in June.

While there are some private arenas, local hockey groups have echoed there are not enough and cost more to use.

“We’ve seen additional ice users and additional, not just hockey, but also ringette, girls hockey, figure skating, sledge hockey, lots of adult hockey,” Seutter said.

The Lewis Farms Community Rec Centre will have a twin rink and is expected to open in 2028. Council has been recommended to explore new potential arenas in Bonnie Doon and the city’s southwest corner.

The city says administration is preparing to replace aging single arenas with twin or multi arenas for the 2027-2030 budget.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny