Tyne Valley arena to reopen Friday after 'long, tiring week'

The manager of the Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre says the facility will reopen on Friday, after getting the go-ahead from officials with occupational health and safety.

The centre has been closed all week, after a number of people who visited over the weekend reported having shortness of breath, coughing, and bad headaches.

Provincial health officials said more than 40 people reported to hospitals around the province complaining of symptoms, but nobody needed to be admitted. 

They believe it was coming from the burner itself.— Adam MacLennan, rink manager

An investigation by occupational health and safety found the building's furnace room had elevated levels of carbon dioxide. 

"The source did come from the furnace, the burner, in that room at the front of the rink. In our report that we have, the carbon dioxide levels were high," said Adam MacLennan, the rink manager.

"They believe that that was mostly the issue. They believe it was coming from the burner itself."

More detectors 

The building's furnace and burner have since been serviced and air-quality tests have shown levels have returned to normal, MacLennan said. 

Staff also replaced ventilation pipes connected to the furnace, installed an additional vent pipe, and replaced furnace nozzles.  

When your community rink goes down you want to do everything that you can as quick as possible to get it back open.— Adam MacLennan, rink manager

MacLennan said, on the advice of provincial officials, more monitors in the rink and meeting rooms will be installed, to ensure this doesn't happen again.

Another in-depth test of air quality will be done within 30 days, he said. 

MacLennan said the problem may have been linked to the "efficiency of the burner" in the furnace, but the final determination will be made in a report being prepared by occupational health and safety.

"It's just been a long, tiring week. Obviously when your community rink goes down you want to do everything that you can as quick as possible to get it back open and operating," he said. 

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