Acting Mayor Andrew Wannan has issued the following statement regarding ongoing Centennial Arena safety concerns. The arena was closed to the public and all programming postponed on Sept. 12.
"During the inspection that took place on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, we were advised that a closer, and more extensive examination of the wood structure is needed," Wannan said in a previous statement.
The current statement is below:
The City of Elliot Lake is in receipt of a draft report from the technical engineering firm Wood Research and Development (WRD) that has identified more specific conditions within the arena structure that are of concern. As such, additional investigation will be necessary to determine the extent of repairs and an estimated timeline.
City staff are working with the engineering firm to have them provide a comprehensive package detailing fulsome options the city can consider, and that we can present to residents.
We recently issued notice of an upcoming community information session where we hoped to solicit feedback from residents. That feedback is best served if residents have a more complete understanding of the scope of work required. As such, we will have to postpone the information session until the complete report is available. We will continue to keep the community informed.
Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that this process is going to take additional time. Regrettably, the 2023-2024 Centennial Arena programming will be substantially impacted.
Today, the City of Elliot Lake has begun the process of removing the ice surface from the Centennial Arena. This is a difficult decision to make. The priority of this council is the safety of our community. That being said, further investigation is required to help us determine the short- and long-term viability of the arena.
Previously, the city had been allowing the public to enter the building under the supervision of staff and with enhanced safety precautions in place – with the continued uncertainty surrounding the arena issues, no further access will be permitted.
Council deeply values the importance of an arena to our community. We remain committed to hosting the information session once the final report is received.
Thank you for your continued understanding,
Acting Mayor Andrew Wannan