De la glace au mois d’août? Comment nous préparons nos arénas avant la première partie de hockey

While many of us are making the most of summer, some of our crews are already thinking ahead to winter. They’re hard at work behind-the-scenes, getting our arenas ready to welcome skaters back to the ice.

Opening dates for our 12 arenas are staggered from the end of August through mid-October, and there’s a lot to do before then.

A busy off season

Many of our arenas are used for summer activities. That means after last season’s final whistle, the ice, lines, and paint all had to be removed. It can take a few weeks to return the ice surface to concrete.

Then the maintenance begins. Boards are repaired, walls get a fresh coat of paint, and anything else that needs attention is fixed.

Our entire Zamboni fleet also gets a tune-up. Two by two, they’re towed away for servicing then centrally stored until they’re needed.

Starting next week, we’ll begin removing the heat from the concrete so it’s cold enough for ice again. Our hot summers mean it can take some time to do this. The temperature of the concrete needs to drop to at least -5 C. That can take between three to six weeks depending on the arena and the type of refrigeration plant it has.

Once the concrete is cold enough, it will be flooded, painted, and paper lines rolled on before the puck drops on the upcoming season.

If you’re already thinking about hitting the ice, you can check out the latest in casual ice rental availability. We also offer skating lessons and free public skating times. Information about the fall session will be available in the Fall Leisure Guide Skating brochure, available August 13.

Building our team

For an arena to open, there must always be someone on site with a Power Engineering Refrigeration certification. We’ve developed an internal training program to help ensure we can meet that requirement.

Since 2023, several of our employees have successfully completed that training program.

If you have a valid Province of Manitoba Power Engineer’s Refrigeration Class designation, consider applying to be on our Arena Attendant spare list.

Sponsor a Zamboni

We’re excited to offer Zamboni sponsorship opportunities this year. Businesses can sponsor a Zamboni for a five-year term and wrap it with their brand.

It’s a great way to support our community, help keep ice rental fees low, and provide users with a higher quality ice sheet.

Check out our Sponsor Winnipeg program for more information on this opportunity. The deadline is August 31.