Tournaments and drop-in ice programming accommodated throughout the city, major repairs underway at Centre 70 Arena following water damage from burst pipe

The City of Kingston continues to work on repairs and restoration at Centre 70 Arena following a burst water pipe inside the facility on Jan. 26.  

This is our busiest time of year for ice bookings, and we thank all the user groups and participants for working with us on accommodating the relocations of all tournaments booked at Centre 70.  

To accommodate the demand for public skates, shinny and other City drop-in programs, we have added ice capacity at other City arenas and are continuing to work directly with user groups to reallocate ice times equitably, in accordance with our Ice Allocation Policy.  

“The temporary loss of the Centre 70 Arena places added pressure on the remaining arenas and makes it more challenging for user groups to deliver their programs. While the water damage inside the arena is significant, we are working diligently towards restoring and reopening the arena next season so residents and visitors can get back on the ice,” said Amy Elgersma, Director of Recreation and Leisure Services, City of Kingston.  

The arena is closed to the public for the remainder of the Winter 2026 ice season and until all repairs have been completed safely and thoroughly. The City continues to work closely with insurance adjusters and regulatory authorities to ensure all requirements are met.  

The refrigerant was safely removed from the ice-making equipment and reclaimed, a safety measure for further repairs, and the damaged refrigeration equipment is being evaluated and specified for design.  

Next steps include safely restoring utility service to the building and beginning repair work on the refrigeration equipment. Based on current timelines, we expect Centre 70 Arena to have a restored and functioning ice surface in fall 2026, dependent on the progress of repairs, system restorations and procurement of parts.