Dry coolers for a new refrigeration system were lifted onto the rooftop of the Rotary Place in west Orillia today.
In November of 2022, a strain of Legionella was found in a cooling tower at the municipally-owned facility at 100 University Ave. A month later, city council approved spending $1.9 million to address issues at Rotary Place following the arena’s second shutdown in three years from Legionella outbreaks traced to its cooling towers.
The funding was used for a new indoor, self-contained compressor system and outdoor dry condenser to be designed, procured, and installed at Rotary Place. At that time, council also approved $425,000 in spending for up to 18 months for an interim cooling unit.
"The rental system has reliably supported high-quality ice surfaces enjoyed by users," said Renee Recoskie, the city's director of facilities, climate change and operations.
Recoskie notes the rental system will remain in place for the duration of the 2023-24 ice season until the changeover occurs with the new permanent system in the spring.
When the project is completed, the new refrigeration system at Rotary Place will be renewed with an anticipated useful life of 20 to 25 years, she explained.
Funding for the new system was allocated from the General Asset Management Reserve Fund and did not impact the tax levy, Recoskie says.
"The city has been very proactive with reserve planning and there was sufficient funding within this reserve to accommodate this project," she said. "The project is on budget and on schedule for final commissioning and operations by May and June 2024."
Recoskie notes there was no disruption to programming or ice during the installation today and user groups have been kept up to date on the progress of the project.
-- With files from Greg McGrath-Goudie
