Drayton Valley curling rink roof collapses

Another arena in central Alberta has been forced to temporarily close its doors following a roof collapse.

Last month, a large portion of the Drayton Valley Omiplex roof collapsed. The collapse caused a significant amount of damage to the curling rink, and resulted a water and gas leak.

The 12 to 20 people inside the arena at the time, were able to evacuate the building following the collapse, and no one was hurt in the incident.

Fire Chief Tom Thomson credits the fortunate outcome of the incident to its timing, “had it been later on in the day, it could have been more serious.”

Heavy Snow Could Have Caused Roof to Collapse

The cause of the collapse is unclear at this point, though the large amount of snow –approximately 18 inches– could have been a contributing factor.

Mayor Glenn McLean is waiting to see the results of the appraisal report before confirming the cause of the roof collapse. “We’ll see what the engineers tell us in terms of how to deal with this and how to avoid such a situation in the future.”

The section of the Omniplex that houses the curling rink is believed to have been constructed in the early 1990s. The temporary closure of the complex is a significant event for the town of Drayton Valley, as the centre is well-used by many members of the community, particularly during winter months.

The incident in Drayton Valley follows another significant collapse in central Alberta. The Sylvan Lake Arena also experienced a roof collapse earlier this year. No injuries were reported in connection to the incident.

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Posted on February 25th, 2014