CHESTERMERE - The Chestermere Recreation Centre will stay open after a vote by Rocky View County council on Friday morning.
The decision comes just hours before the centre was to close its doors due to structural concerns with its roof.
On Thursday, the County, the City of Chestermere and the Chestermere Regional Community Association agreed to close the centre due to snow forecasted to fall this weekend.
But council’s 7-2 vote now means the entire rec centre will continue to operate, as long as updated engineering and technical information is sent to the county by the end of the day Friday.
Rocky View County councillors voted in favour of implementing a snow load mitigation strategy to make sure the heavy, wet snow in the forecast for the weekend doesn’t lead to an arena roof collapse.
Councillors heard from a representative from Stantec, the engineering consulting company brought in to study the rec centre’s structure.
A previous letter to all parties from a Stantec engineer concluded that "the life and safety of users of this facility is not of immediate concern, and that closure of the facility is not necessary in the immediate future, unless the snow forecast changes significantly."
The Chestermere Community Association says regular operations will resume at the rec centre immediately but that it will continue its 'mitigation plan of the Red Arena' if a significant amount of snow falls.
