Kimberley Civic Centre ice-plant project reaches planned reopening date
City said arena would be ready for Sept. 26 home opener after eight-day delay
The City of Kimberley shared this image of the Civic Centre ice surface on Sept. 22 as ice installation neared completion.
Photo credit: City of Kimberley
KIMBERLEY — Kimberley’s Civic Centre reached its planned reopening date Saturday following replacement of the shared refrigeration plant serving the arena and Kimberley Curling Club, although the City had not posted a follow-up confirmation of the reopening by Sunday.
The City said in its latest project update, issued Sept. 22, that ice installation was nearly finished and the Civic Centre was expected to be ready for the Kimberley Dynamiters’ Sept. 26 home game against the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
The replacement plant serves both the Civic Centre and the Kimberley Curling Club. The City has said the previous refrigeration equipment had exceeded its expected lifespan and the new system is intended to improve safety and reliability while supporting the facilities over the longer term.
Kimberley council approved a $1.372-million capital budget for replacement of the Civic Centre and curling rink chiller and compressors in October 2024.
At the time, the City planned to seek $1.0976 million, or 80 per cent of the cost, through the federal Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, with $274,400 coming from the General Operating Capital Reserve. Council also authorized the larger share to come from the Growing Communities Fund Reserve if the federal grant application was unsuccessful.
Budget planning changed again in early 2025, when council directed staff to prepare authorization for $1.34 million from the Growing Communities Fund Reserve to help fund portions of the Civic Centre chiller and wastewater treatment plant projects.
The City and council records reviewed by the Sentinel do not provide a final construction cost or final funding breakdown specifically for the completed ice-plant project.
The replacement also took longer to reach construction than initially planned.
A progressive design-build process closed in February 2025 with four proposals, and CIMCO Refrigeration was selected for the first phase of design development and construction budgeting. City staff later reported that the design schedule and equipment lead times meant construction would take place during the 2026 off-season.
Work was expected to begin in late April after the existing refrigeration system was shut down for the season.
In February, the City projected that commissioning would take place in early September, followed by roughly two weeks for municipal crews to build the ice. The Civic Centre was then expected to reopen Sept. 18.
That date changed Sept. 4, when the City announced that installation delays had pushed the planned reopening to Sept. 26. The City said the additional time was needed to complete the work and ensure the new system was fully operational.
Community ice programs are also scheduled to resume this week.
Free public skating at the Civic Centre is scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 28, running Mondays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Dec. 14, with additional sessions listed on several other dates.
Drop-in shinny at the Civic Centre is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 2, from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., while the building’s walking track is scheduled to reopen Sept. 28 following its maintenance closure.
The ice-plant replacement comes as Kimberley continues planning for the future of its ice facilities. Council received an Ice Facilities Strategy earlier this year and directed staff to continue maintaining existing infrastructure with an emphasis on safety and improvements with long-term value, while reviewing scheduling, leases and use of the community’s ice surfaces.
Kimberley’s Civic Centre reached its planned reopening date Saturday following replacement of the shared refrigeration plant serving the arena and Kimberley Curling Club, although the City had not posted a follow-up confirmation of the reopening by Sunday.