Photo by B. Shakyaver
South Huron Council has received an update on the repair work at Stephen Arena. The update follows a structural review earlier this fall by B.M. Ross and Associates (BMRoss), which found issues that needed attention before winter.
Engineers inspected the arena in September and recommended reinforcing two damaged truss members, along with two diagonal supports on each truss. These repairs were part of the first step needed to keep the building safe.
Staff originally expected the first two steps to be done together. But once engineers began preparing detailed plans, they learned the work would need to cover a larger section of the truss system, not just the two damaged areas. Because of this, the full repairs cannot be finished before the end of 2025.
The immediate repair work, known as Step 1, was completed on November 18 and inspected the next day. BMRoss confirmed the work meets safety requirements and found no problems.
Since the rest of the work cannot be done until next year, BMRoss has recommended a temporary safety rule for the winter. The arena will have a maximum snow depth allowed on the roof. If the snow becomes too deep, the building will be closed until the snow melts or is safely removed by a qualified company.
Engineers are also trying to find a digital system that can monitor snow load on the roof, but the roof’s design makes this difficult. If a system is not available soon, staff may use reflective markers and check the roof manually throughout the winter.
Staff will return to Council once BMRoss completes the detailed plans for the next phase of repairs and can provide expected costs.