Yesterday, at my request, city staff held a public information meeting regarding the future of Belltown Dome at Ron Kolbus Lakeside and I was pleased to see a good turnout of community members. Dan Brisebois, Director of City Facilities and Kevin Wherry, Director of Parks and Facility Planning presented a slide show to give the community the facts about Belltown Dome.
This indoor ice rink, is one of the smallest in the City of Ottawa and was built for the community in 1979. Its geodesic dome form is unique and beloved in the community, and a very interesting contrast to the natural environment and the riverfront that surrounds it.
This past summer I learned from city staff that the ice plant was too expensive to replace, along with other critical mechanical and structural elements for ice making at the Dome.
The ice condenser would have also needed replacing as well as the piping system. The overall ice making and building structure itself is nearing end of life. Staff’s numbers state: $3.2 million for operational, mechanical, and structural repairs is needed ($1.64 million for refrigeration system replacement, $1.15 million for building envelope work, and $400 thousand for mechanical/ electrical/ plumbing work). I knew we needed to hold an information session to explain the situation to the community.
As a result of the ice-making infrastructure not working anymore, the City plans to operate the Belltown Dome as a natural ice skating surface this winter and the foreseeable future. The process to build ice will begin when outdoor temperatures drop below the freezing mark and are expected to stay below freezing for an extended period. This was disappointing news for the Belltown Dome regular users since there will no longer be refrigerated ice that lasted for 5 months.
The City will keep maintaining the ice with a Zamboni, offering rentals for community groups, and providing supervised public skating at the location for this shortened season.
For the long term, city staff is suggesting the dome ice pad could be replaced with a year-round community space. This space could include a gym, activity space, meeting rooms, etc. Such things would be decided through public consultations, to determine what the community’s priority. In terms of a timeline, the new design could take up to two years from when it is approved. The cost? Staff estimate anywhere from $8 – 12 million dollars. This concept was met with some interest but there still needs to be discussion on what is the best configuration and possible use of this space.
The reality is that there is aging recreational infrastructure across the city, especially within the Greenbelt. There is a bigger question about what our city plans to do to ensure communities have access to important amenities such as ice pads, gyms, meeting rooms. There is a $3.8 billion dollars deficit in the asset management budget that needs to be addressed. We’re seeing this deficit impact other areas, such as community Field Houses.
Residents at the meeting expressed the value of having this community-based ice pad, which is the only one in Bay Ward, and were reluctant to lose it. The City of Ottawa has created an entire Official Plan based on the concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods and that should include recreational facilities in walking distance. Belltown Dome served that purpose in our community.
There were some who commented that a new all-year round facility such as a multipurpose gym and meeting rooms would be welcome, and I do not doubt that it would be, however it is difficult to lose a popular, despite being undersized, ice pad.
Belltown dome has served as a special place to the community for over 40 years and will continue as a natural ice pad for the time being which is already passed its expected life cycle renewal date. It was a privilege to have the original contractor who built the Dome, Mr. Raaymakers, attend the meeting to tell us about how it was constructed all those years ago. As was pointed out by Dan Brisebois, Director of City Facilities, the Dome is now in overtime in its lifecycle. It has been a part of our community and has left an impact on many. If we’re going to lose this facility, we need a guarantee that a new facility is funded and will be built as soon as possible once the community decides what it wants to see.
I will be preparing a motion in consultation with community members, that will be moved at the Community Services Committee to kick start the process on next steps for the Belltown Dome.
Residents with comments or questions can reach out to Elizabeth Harrison via email at: Elizabeth.Harrison1@ottawa.ca. Please CC bayward@ottawa.ca so that my office also receives a copy.
