The deadly ammonia leak at the arena in the City of Fernie, a small, tight-knit community in southwestern B.C., was a sad wake-up call for other communities with rinks that use ammonia for cooling — including Squamish.
The news of what was happening in Fernie reached Squamish in bits, each headline worse than the next. First, there were a concerning number of emergency crews on the scene at the Fernie Memorial arena. Then residents living around the arena were told to leave their homes: There was an ammonia leak at the rink, it was revealed. The eventual devastating news that three men— Wayne Hornquist, 59, Lloyd Smith, 52 and Jason Podloski, 46 — were dead at the rink was known by the approximately 5,000 residents of Fernie first and eventually by everyone due to headlines and stories that reflected the grief and shock of an entire town.
It is hard to fathom how a day at the rink could mean death. In Fernie, like many towns in Canada, the rink is a community hub.
The editor of the local newspaper there told The Chief the deaths and the days that have followed have been “surreal.” Like “old Squamish,” everyone in Fernie knows each other, he said.
The leak in Fernie made staff and council at the District of Squamish, “pause for reflection to review our safety protocols,” according to a news release from muni hall.
The Brennan Park Recreation Centre Ice Arena –and half of the 2,500 rinks in Canada — uses ammonia for refrigeration, a spokesperson for the federal Ministry of Natural Resources told The Canadian Press.
Facilities with ammonia refrigeration are safe, “when properly designed and when safety is assured by an operational security program,” according to District of Squamish staff. The system at Brennan Park includes about 300 kilograms of liquid ammonia that is stored on site in a certified pressure container. The chiller and condenser were replaced in 2011. Ventilation from the sealed room is piped outside with a vent 25 feet above the ground. Because ammonia is lighter than air, any ammonia leak would dissipate high into the outside air, according to the District. Our maintenance staff is up to date in their training, with safety training updated yearly.
Investigations into what caused the accident in Fernie aren’t complete yet, but will hopefully reveal what system breakdowns led to the death of the three men. The District says if new recommendations arise from the tragedy, they will be quickly put in place in Squamish. Council and the District sent their “deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” in Fernie. Of course, all of us at The Chief and in Squamish send ours as well. Let’s hope that as a result of this incident, other communities across Canada are also reviewing their cooling systems so they remain safe too.
