2nd Winnipeg hockey arena shuts down for season

Another arena closed for the season. Terry Sawchuck won't be seeing any skaters on its ice for at least the next few months. It's the second arena in one week that's been shut down, following the rink at West Kildonan Memorial Community Center. Andrew Lick is the ice director of the River East Minor Hockey Association. He says he didn't see it coming. We met with the city in mid-September, kind of a pre-season update and everything. They told us that they were looking at it again because there was some other stuff that got identified. But at that time, they indicated that they didn't think the ice surface was going to be affected. The rink was closed last year because of structural issues with the beams. The city says it's now found issues with 8 to 10 beams. Andrew Lick says he's concerned what effect the closure will have because the association largely uses the rink to help players improve. Because we're really pushing developing the kids as opposed to playing games and everything. So to have less time available for practice and development, it does hurt. Andrew Lick says the city has been trying its best to help meet the association's needs. But some are concerned with other long-term implications. James Higham grew up at the arena. Now, he's had three boys in hockey and seen rinks across the province. He says outside the city... And they have these nice, big, beautiful rinks that they've sunk a lot of money into. and you go into some of our old shabby rinks in the city, it's kind of almost embarrassing. East Kildonan's city councillor, Emma Durand-Wood, says the closure came from continued inspections after the structural issues found at the arena last year. My understanding was, depending on where those issues were, that might determine whether or not the work could be done while the arena was still operational or whether it would have to be closed, and it was determined that it would have to close for them to do that work safely. The city doesn't yet have a timeline for when the work will be completed. It says it's also doing a code assessment of all other city-owned arenas. Alicia Wang, CBC News, Winnipeg.