The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Heating improvements to the Uptown Curling Rink are expected to save city coffers tens of thousands of dollars in the coming years. A heat-recovery system already in use in the arena portion of the Whitney Forum will be expanded into the curling rink side later this year. 'It's taking energy that we're already creating but not using and turning it into a viable heat source,' said Mike Dubreuil, the city's recreation manager. 'It's just a win-win for the City of Flin Flon, the people who use the Whitney Forum and the curling club.' The expansion was made possible after Dubreuil got word late last year that the project would receive just under $223,000 from the Building Manitoba provincial grant program. He hopes to see work begin in late spring, allowing workers to set up their scaffolding on the curling rink ice rather than the less stable sand beneath. Dubreuil has no precise estimate but expects the work to take roughly six weeks to complete. Generated The system uses energy generated by the Whitney Forum ice plant to heat a glycol solution that is fed to a series of heaters. The curling rink will be equipped with about six heaters to warm up not only the playing area but also the lounge and common areas. The arena side of the building has nine heaters, including a large one in the lobby area. The total cost of the heat-recovery system for the arena and curling rink, as well as a dehumidification system installed in the arena last year, is just over $450,000. The city's share comes to $180,000, with the remaining $50,000 gleaned from a separate provincial grant. The overall project is forecast to save the city $30,000 to $50,000 a year in heating costs. 'The intention of this system to start with was that it would (recoup the city's cost) in approximately six years,' said Dubreuil. Since the Uptown Curling Club's lease is tied to building utility costs, Dubreuil said the move 'should also help out the curling club in the long run.' Beyond the monetary benefits are the many positive comments Dubreuil has received from walkers and spectators at the arena. 'It's a nice temperature to sit and enjoy (an event), and the system doesn't really create a whole lot of noise,' he said. 'It's actually a really quiet system.' Winnipeg-based Cimco Refrigeration, which completed the arena work, will return for the curling rink project. Dubreuil said Cimco is renowned in its field, having done work in the arenas that house National Hockey League teams. When Cimco installed the system in the Whitney Forum arena, the option of easily expanding into the curling rink was left open in the event more cash became available. 'Having that funding available for the curling rink side was a long-term idea previously,' said Dubreuil. 'This funding helps us put this into place very quickly.'
