Two Cambridge arenas in need of costly equipment, building repairs

New information is being brought to Cambridge council showing that ice-making equipment, along with other aspects of two arenas, are in need of extensive repairs and replacements.

It comes from a report developed by city staff, which said it’s an important focus for both Dickson Arena and Duncan McIntosh Arena ahead of winter’s arrival across Waterloo Region.

“Both Dickson and Duncan McIntosh Arenas have experienced failure of end-of-life ice-making equipment and require immediate replacement in order to reinstate and maintain ice for the 2025-2026 seasons,” Mike Hausser , Director of Operations, said in the report sent to council.

It shows the main reasoning for the repairs is due to age, with no major changes made to the ice-making machines in either arena, almost since they were first built in 1971 for Duncan McIntosh and 1966 for Dickson.

“The ice-making equipment is substantially original with the exception of reactive repairs and minor component replacements completed in the past few years,” said Hausser in the report. “With the additional ice-pad at Preston Auditorium, and ice time available at Cambridge Sports Park, both buildings had been expected to be re-purposed to other uses, and, as such, investment to maintain ice-making equipment in these buildings had not been planned.”

The total cost for such a replacement would be $571,000, with $407,000 needed for Duncan McIntosh and $164,000 needed for Dickson. The report lists the Infrastructure Renewal Fund (IRF) as a possible source of that funding.

Hausser said it has become a more vital fix, particularly as the main crux of the 2025 to 2026 season is right on the horizon. He mentioned that if no proper plan is put in place, it could cause a slew of issues.

“If Dickson and/or Duncan McIntosh ice-making components fail during the seasons, existing bookings would need to be reallocated to other operating ice facilities if capacity to accommodate exists. If capacity does not exist, bookings would need to be cancelled.”

While the ice-making machines are a more urgent fix, the report also goes into further detail on the more extensive repairs needed across both arenas as a whole.

“It should be noted that there are other ice-related components that remain past normal service life that need to be considered for replacement to support ice in these two buildings beyond the next season,” said Hausser in the report. “Some of those items include the rink floor, rink board systems, and all other ice-making components not already specifically noted.”

He stated that, similarly to the ice-making machines, the arenas themselves have aged, with recent building condition assessments showing renovations could be needed to maintain the current and growing service levels.

“A significant renovation in each building is required to meet current standards and to address a growing demand for use and spaces in these facilities for both ice and non-ice-related indoor sports and community activities.”

It wouldn’t be a cheap fix, though, with current estimates in the report showing a combined cost of over $5.2 million. That includes the over $2.3 million that would be needed for Duncan McIntosh and the almost $2.9 million required for Dickson.

All the listed repairs, replacements, and possible renovations are set to be brought forward to Cambridge council at its upcoming meeting later next week, currently scheduled for May 13.