The West End Community Centre had to be evacuated Friday afternoon after an ammonia leak.
Recreation supervisor Jayne Loutit said that a small ammonia leak was detected at around 12:30 p.m. As a precaution the building was evacuated and Vancouver firefighters were called in.
No one was injured. The building was ventilated and re-opened just before 2:30 p.m.
Daisy Chin, manager of recreation services at the park board, said that staff will assess the equipment in the coming days to determine what led to the leak.
“We’ll do a full review and assessment,” she said.
Most refrigeration systems used in ice rinks use ammonia. It is used in its liquid form but when released it turns into a noxious gas, which can cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs if inhaled.
There have been two major ammonia leaks at B.C. arenas in recent years. Last October, three people died after a major ammonia leak at Fernie Memorial Arena in Fernie, B.C.
Former Olympian and Canadian figure skating champion Karen Magnussen suffered damage to her respiratory system in 2011 when she walked into an ammonia gas leak at the North Shore Winter Club. The gas burned her lungs and vocal chords.
