Wakaw rink closed again after SHA finds high CO levels in Zamboni

The Town of Wakaw has closed its hockey arena again after the Saskatchewan Health Authority found the rink’s Zamboni was emitting elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

A number of young players at attending hockey tournament in the town’s Jubilee Arena became sick last weekend after they were exposed to carbon monoxide inside the building.

Carbon monoxide from a faulty furnace was initially blamed for the incident. But while the furnaces have been shut down since Monday, the health authority investigated the arena on Wednesday and found the ice resurfacing machine was also a potential source of the carbon monoxide that left the young players ill.

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“Once we learned that, we immediately closed the rink,” said Wakaw mayor Mike Markowski.

“The rink is now closed until everything is 110-per-cent repaired.”

According to Markowski, there was a leak discovered inside the Zamboni which could’ve been a source for the high carbon monoxide levels.

When the health authority tested the carbon monoxide levels at the arena, they were found to be above 25 parts per million, which Health Canada considers unsafe.

The furnaces at Wakaw’s Jubilee Arena are being replaced after a number of players fell sick during a tournament last weekend. (Wakaw Arena Concession/Facebook)

The town’s mayor said they’re not taking any chances.

“Right now, we don’t know for sure what exactly it was; if it was both or just the Zamboni. Regardless, there was some type of gas that caused kids to get sick and it’s being addressed and everything will be repaired and given the all clear by the health authority before the rink is re-opened,” he explained.

Since learning of the SHA’s investigation, Markowsky said new parts for the Zamboni have been ordered in order to repair it.

“It’s not an old Zamboni by any means, and it has annual maintenance. It’s just one of those things that parts go and things need to be replaced, I guess,” he said.

“It’s an unfortunate event but, thankfully, it was caught and the issues have been traced to a main issue that we can fix.”

The mayor said he’s hoping the Zamboni can repaired in the next few days.