Qualified arena staff shortage threatens to ice rec time at some city rinks

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This article was published 16/10/2023 (1064 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A shortage of ice-plant operators is putting local rinks at risk of closure, sparking a call to make it easier to qualify for the job.

Arenas are required to have a certified arena operator onsite for safety reasons but fewer skilled staff have been available over the last few years.

“We started having concerns about four years ago, just because it was difficult for us to fill casual ice-time spots. We’re one of the busiest facilities in the city, so we run year-round… at least 16 to 18 hours (per day), seven days a week,” said Margie Reis, assistant general manager at Seven Oaks Arena.

Reis said Seven Oaks has come “within hours” of having to shut down on multiple occasions due to the lack of certified staff.

“We’ve got two sheets of ice, so if we had to shut down for a full shift that’s (up to) 16 slots of ice that would need to be cancelled…. It’s a lot of revenue for us and a lot of heartbreak for the kids,” she said.

The city has 20 full-time arena attendants and is trying to hire another five to fill vacancies, city spokesman Adam Campbell said in an email.

Campbell noted some arena hours have already been affected by staff shortages over the past few years.

“We have periodically needed to reduce hours at arenas…. We don’t have exact numbers for these occurrences; however, they have generally not been reduced for longer than a single week, and have been limited to one arena at a time. We endeavour to minimize the impact of any reduced hours by assigning staff according to arena booking schedules,” he wrote.

Reis said it’s tough to find new people to do the work, since many applicants fail a key certification test and many experienced staff are now at or nearing retirement.

A new motion at city hall aims to make it easier to qualify for the role. Coun. Evan Duncan is urging city council to ask the Manitoba government to review the certification process and modernize legislation governing it.

The motion notes Ontario recently adopted a four-day course in basic arena refrigeration to address the shortage in that province.

“I want… to use a model that makes sense so we can avoid having arenas closed because, potentially, the requirements are too onerous,” Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) told the Free Press.

“The idea behind this is not to make it less safe. We’re just trying to make it more practical so that we are following the legislation set out by the province (and it) makes sense for what actual duties are being undertaken by these arena operators.”

Reis also believes the change can be made safely.

“If the operators are trained on how to monitor the ice plant, what red flags to look for and what to do in the event of a failure, that’s what you need,” she said.

However, some fear expedited training could bring new risks.

A review is needed to ensure any quicker training option still ensures those who get certified have sufficient skill to closely monitor an ice plant and prevent potentially dangerous ammonia leaks, according to the head of the city’s largest union.

“Is (the shortened training) adequate? I don’t know the answer to that…. We want to make sure that the public is safe when people are using these facilities,” said Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500.

An ammonia leak at a rink in Fernie, B.C. killed three people in 2017, highlighting the need for such facilities to be carefully monitored, Delbridge noted.

He would prefer the city pay for staff to get the appropriate training in the future to increase the labour supply, noting this was done many years ago prior to funding cuts.

In an email, a provincial government spokesperson indicated the incoming NDP government will consider the matter.

“We are watching the issue closely and look forward to getting to work on these important issues once government has been sworn in,” the spokesperson wrote.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga