Remaining Winnipeg Arena structure to be leveled by implosion

MEDIA RELEASE:

WINNIPEG March 22, 2006 - The remaining standing portion of the Winnipeg Arena complex, 1430 Maroons Road will be leveled by implosion at 7:15 a.m., Sunday, March 26, 2006.

The implosion will be carried out by Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking Ltd. The structure to be imploded will include the original main arena building and the east and west upper deck structures. The four main columns along with the upper deck support columns will be blasted. The planned implosion will take approximately three - four seconds to drop the 21 metre (70 foot) structure to the ground.

The area within 150 metres (500’) of the structure will be evacuated completely the morning of the implosion. The area within 300 metres (1,000’) will be restricted to authorized personnel only during the blast period.

For safety reasons spectators are encouraged not to attend the site but to view the blast on the television news. For those who will be coming out to view the blast in person, three public viewing areas will be made available; the parking lot at the Home Depot store on Empress Street, and two parking lots on St. James Street at Future Shop and Canadian Tire.

Those in the vicinity of the Winnipeg Arena site will hear warning sirens at five minute and one minute intervals prior to the detonation of the explosives. At the one minute mark a ten second warning siren will sound. A very loud crack will sound at the moment of implosion. An all clear siren will sound after the implosion by Police sirens.

Between 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. the following streets will be closed:

• St. James Street between St. Matthews and Ness Avenues
• No access to St. James Street from Silver Avenue
• Maroons Road and Rapelje Avenue
• Empress Street between St. Matthews and Westway Avenues

There will be no access to parking lots on the Polo Park shopping centre site within the 1000’ radius of the blast.