Submitted by Selkirk & District Community Foundation
Among the many unsung heroes of the ice rink is the ice plant boiler – it resides out of sight and out of mind, doing its part to make skaters and pucks glide across the
ice surface with the greatest of ease.
And if the boiler breaks down, so too does the ice surface.
The East Selkirk Recreation Centre needed a boiler replacement this season and the
Selkirk and District Community Foundation came through with a $10,000 grant to
keep the 2020-21 season on ice.
“A boiler is very important. Without it, we could still make ice, but it would hinder
the quality of our ice,” says Blake Burnett, Facility Manager at the East Selkirk
Recreation Centre. “It’s essential to our business. Hockey players know that when they go on the ice and it’s rough, there’s a reason and the reason is you’re using cold water to flood.”
The boiler heats water that is applied to ice by the Zamboni and without that hot
water, the ice surface would be bumpy and uneven.
Burnett says when you shave the ice, you get ice crystals, and those crystals need to
be melted and that’s where the hot water comes in.
Aaron Martyniw, President of the SDCF, says helping groups like the ESRC is what
the Foundation is all about.
“These are the kinds of things we love to be a part of, knowing that kids are going to
have quality ice to skate on is what it’s all about,” Martyniw says. “When you hear how important a boiler is to the quality of ice, you realize how
important it is, so we’re happy to help out with things that really benefit the
community.”
What the 2020 season will look like is in large part dependent on COVID-19, but
right now, Burnett says Phase 2 of Hockey Manitoba’s three-phase-plan is in action
and the ESRC is preparing for an October opening when games will start.
The Lord Selkirk Hockey Association is currently holding tryouts at the Selkirk Rec
Complex.
The Foundation grant is much appreciated, Burnett says, as the cost to replace the
unit is substantial.
“It’s more than a $10,000 touch to a community club like ours so it would take a lot
of rentals to pay for something like that, so for that reason alone we appreciate the
grant so much,” he says. “It’s one of those costs that nobody thinks about, they think hot water, big deal. But you can’t replace the boiler for cheaper, the type of system that it is, with the heat recovery that’s required in such a short period of time and the amount of water that the Zamboni requires, it’s important. The cost to a non-profit club like ours is just out of our reach.”
The fall grant application deadline is just around the corner on Sept. 30. For more
details go to sdcf.ca; email [email protected]; or phone 204-785-9755.
