DIDSBURY - While recently installing a new bench in one of the dressing rooms at the Didsbury Memorial Complex arena, workers found material which turned out to be asbestos, say officials.
As a result, all activities at the arena have been shut down until abatement work is completed and tests show it is safe to resume normal activities in the area, CAO Harold Northcott said in an Aug. 10 press release.
"While town employees were drilling into the cinderblock walls, an insulation-type material was evident in the drilled holes," said Northcott. "Work was immediately shut down while the substance was identified."
The town hired an abatement company, Ross Environmental from Didsbury, which collected samples of the substance on Aug. 1 and sent those away for testing.
"In the meantime, the area was sealed off and work was halted on the dressing room refit project," he said. "On Aug. 3 the abatement company confirmed that the material was asbestos-containing vermiculite."
Abatement work got underway last week.
"The arena will be closed for most of the next week until environmental air quality testing shows it is safe to resume normal activities in the area," he said.
At a special council meeting on Aug. 14, Northcott gave an update on the abatement.
"Once they're finished with the work then they will do air quality testing," he said. "There's not a danger to anyone. Once you contain it and seal it up."
The project was expected to have been completed by Monday afternoon, after press time.
"Ross Environmental was responsible for site containment, sealing up the holes in the cinderblock wall, air quality monitoring and abatement of asbestos that had become airborne after its exposure," said Nicole Aasen, manager of community services for Didsbury. "This work took just over a week."
The arena will be open for public use later this week; however, ice installation begins Friday so no programs have been scheduled for this week, said Aasen.
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