Structural issue prompts abrupt closure of Terry Sawchuk Arena

The Terry Sawchuk Arena has been forced to shut down after running into an unexpected problem.

A structural issue found in the Terry Sawchuk Arena has prompted an abrupt closure and left hockey teams scrambling to find ice time.

The arena in northeast Winnipeg was closed Wednesday. A city spokesperson confirmed the closure to CTV News, saying an issue was found during a restoration project.

“During this work, staff uncovered an unexpected and significant structural issue,” a communications officer with the city said in an email. “The issue presents enough concern that we immediately closed the facility out of an abundance of caution.”

The arena is expected to be closed until the end of December.

That’s left the River East Minor Hockey Association scrambling.

“Ice is pretty hard to get,” said Cory Cockriell, president of the association. “We’ll have to wait and see what we can reschedule, or if things are just going to have to be cancelled, but that’s what we’re currently working on right now.”

Cockriell said about 55 practices and 12 development skates were scheduled at the Terry Sawchuk Arena. He has been calling community centres in the area to see if there is any outdoor ice time available to salvage at least some hockey practices.

He noted the River East Minor Hockey Association is just one of the many groups that run out of the arena, including high school hockey teams and figure skating programs.

“There’s a lot of people affected by this closure,” Cockriell said.

He noted the silver lining is the closure covers Christmas break when there aren’t any practices or games scheduled.

“I guess that’s a positive there, but yeah, it’s definitely going to have a negative impact.”

The city said crews are working now to come up with a plan to deal with the structural issue, including an anticipated timeline for when it will be fixed.

“We understand this is disruptive to arena users and are working hard to reopen the facility as soon as it is safe,” the city spokesperson said in the email. “We are in the process of contacting all rental groups to help relocate ice time, wherever possible.”

The city said any residents planning to lace up their skates during the public skate times at Terry Sawchuk Arena can find other alternatives online.