Jasper’s ol’ Zamboni—which was almost the lone causality in the Jan. 26 arena fire—will live to see another day.
This news comes after the machine was assessed for a third time.
The first assessment, done last month, determined that the machine was a write-off, but the insurance company was unhappy with that outcome and requested a second evaluation of the machine. Following that, the second adjuster said the Zamboni only requires about $5,000 in repairs.
“So when you looked at the two outcomes, they seem to be completely out of whack with each other,” explained Yvonne McNabb, director of culture and recreation. “It didn’t correspond at all, so we asked for a third person to come in and look at it. This time it was an engineer and they do feel it is repairable.”
Work to repair the Zamboni should begin in the next two weeks, said arena manager Peter Bridge. But, it is unlikely the old machine will return before the end of the season.
Until it does return, Bridge said the temporary machine will remain in town, with the cost of the rental falling to the municipality’s insurance company.
Although the old machine is being repaired, there are still plans to replace it within the next year.
“The old one is a ‘95, but it’s got 11,000 hours on it,” said Bridge. “That’s like the equivalent of 900,000 kilometres on your car.”
Bridge said an order for a natural gas machine—with a price tag between $135,000 and $145,000—will be placed soon, as it takes a year for a machine to arrive after it has been purchased.
“It’s not like you go and buy it off the car lot,” he said with a laugh. “It takes a year to get a new one.”
Bridge has selected a natural gas machine with a propane backup system. He said after much research, he’s determined that will be the best fit for Jasper.
“One of the problems with natural gas is when it gets to -30, sometimes the compressors can screw up, so we’ll have a propane backup.”
Bridge said the old Zamboni will also be kept, so there’s always a backup to keep the arena running smoothly.
Jasper’s Zamboni was damaged in an early morning arena fire on Jan. 26. The blaze started in a cupboard in the Zamboni room and was quickly extinguished by the Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade. Despite the lightening fast response of six minutes, there was significant smoke damage to the building, keeping it closed for nearly a month.
The facility reopened with a fresh coat of paint the third week of February.
Nicole Veerman
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