A project to renovate the sliding track at WinSport has been put on hold because officials say they don’t have enough funds to complete the work required and there is a possibility that the track will not be in operation next season.

The track was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics and needs a new refrigeration system and other upgrades to keep it up and running.

The government contributed just under $17 million to the project but another $8 million is needed to complete the work.

In a letter to staff, President and CEO Barry Heck said that the failed 2026 Olympic bid means that ‘those funds are not immediately forthcoming.’

Heck told team members in the memo that the track will close on March 3rd after the facility hosts the 2019 IBSF Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Cup.

He said that continuing on with the renovation project would put WinSport’s long-term future at risk.

“WinSport is at a crossroads. We are working to understand how to continue building on our legacy and serving the needs of our communities for the next 30 years. The end of the 2026 Olympic bid – and the funding and renewal that would have come to WinSport from hosting another Olympic Games – has forces us to evaluate how to sustainably serve our athletes and community for the next 30 years,” he wrote.

He said the refrigeration system will be decommissioned after the track is closed and that it may not be in operation next season.

“Given that the track is 33 years old and the refrigeration system needs to be changed out, just for the long-term future of this track, you know, it has to be done. We can’t operate under these current circumstances for next year,” said Dale Oviatt, Senior Communications Manager for WinSport. “It is not a safety issue but any time you’re looking at the use of ammonia on a track, as it ages, you just want to replace it while you can and a big part of the renovation was also for the yearly costs of operating.”

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton is based in Calgary and Chris Le Bihan, the High Performance Director, says he learned about the plan to halt track renovations on Tuesday.

“We’re shocked, surprised and really concerned about it. This has been home for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton for 30 plus years. Countless Olympians, Olympic champions, World Cup champions, the list goes on, have been developed by our federations, utilizing the facilities here,” he said. “It’s a phenomenal development track, it’s not just for Canadians but it’s very much an international hub, a lot of people come here and use this track.”

Le Bihan says it is fortunate that there is another track in Canada but it’s not easy to pick up and move.

“We centralize in Calgary each pre-season, each September. October is when our entire program meets back up in Calgary. I mean, we’re based here but our athletes and our staff come back in and we start our seasons here. We’ve been doing that for a very long time and not having the track here will mean that won’t happen.”

He says that there are a number of repercussions associated with closing the track.

“That will affect, I think, a lot of things in Calgary, or especially at COP, whether it’s in the gym or the medical centre, even the cafeteria because the bobsledders and skeleton athletes eat a lot of food.”

WinSport says it is talking with the provincial and federal governments to find a solution and restart the project.

"We've started conversations with the provincial and federal government already, you know, we’ve had several conversations over the last little bit and those conversations are ongoing and were going to work with our support partners to come up with a path going forward and try to do the best we can to make sure this track is open 30 years from now," said Oviatt.

Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, emailed a statement to CTV News saying…

"We committed the full $10-million ask for the sliding track project in our 2016 Budget. We are more than willing to continue to work with WinSport and have expressed a willingness to alter the funding agreement to help with its needs. We are disappointed that WinSport has stopped construction of the project, which will have a significant impact on luge, bobsleigh and skeleton athletes."

Oviatt says the $10 million contribution from the province is being held in a trust account and the federal money is on hold for now.