Very cool place: staff work on preparing the ice surface in the Art Hauser Centre on Thursday. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Trevor Redden

Summer Ice

AHC surface readied for summer

Jul 31, 2020 | 7:00 AM

There may not be many cooler places this week than inside the Art Hauser Centre, as the city starts the process of installing the ice surface for the new season.

With the government of Saskatchewan allowing indoor arenas to open as of July 6 as part of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, local user groups will now be able to get into the facility from August. At least one hockey camp will get on the surface in the coming weeks as well as a skating group.

“What we went through the last four months, I don’t want to use the word normal, but for our users of the Art Hauser it’s exciting that it’s going in and some of the users that use it in August will have that opportunity. Hopefully, that leads into fall as we wait for more information,” Curtis Olsen, sport and recreation manager with the City of Prince Albert told paNOW.

As for when hockey teams can get back on the ice, whether that be local minor teams or the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders, that remains to be seen. The WHL is targeting an Oct. 2 start date for the 2020-21 regular season, but that is contingent on approval from health authorities in all jurisdictions.

In the meantime, the city is doing their part to ensure everything is ready as they commence the nearly two-week installation process.

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“They turn the plant on, then you’ve got to let the floor cool, then you start your flooding and then you do your white ice, and then there’s lines. Starting [Monday], then I believe the ice will be ready around August 8,” Olsen said.

He also noted that the number of people involved in the job is small enough that staff will be able to effectively follow all physical distancing and health guidelines throughout the install.

Geometry in motion: staff work on the lines at the Art Hauser Centre ice on Thursday. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

Staff were on the ice Thursday working to make sure it is ready for the opening of the Art Hauser Centre. Arena engineer Dale Tolley told paNOW they began the process on Monday and it involves plenty of exercise.

“Well I know for our staff – our icemakers – they’re putting on between 20,000 and 25,000 steps a day doing their floods,” Tolley laughed. “It’s actually a fine mist spray we do to build it up, a lot of people think you just open hose it, put an inch of water, and finish. No, it’s all by hand walking around moving the hose spraying.”

“Unfortunately mother nature hasn’t been very friendly with us this year.We’ve had the hottest two weeks we’ve had trying to make ice but the building has been holding up good so it’s a nice place to be inside today,” he explained.

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With files from Ian Gustafson

Trevor.Redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden