An explosion has caused extensive damage to parts of the Town of Taber’s Community Centre, forcing the closure of both ice arenas and the curling rink.
Town officials said the explosion occurred Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the area of the small ice arena Zamboni room. The blast caused significant damage within the arena and curling rink areas.
A secondary, localized fire broke out following the explosion but was quickly extinguished by emergency crews and remained contained to the equipment involved, the town said.
In a statement, the town said the facility was evacuated. “Emergency response procedures were activated immediately. All occupants were accounted for, and no injuries were reported.”
Early inspections showed widespread damage in impacted areas, including shifted interior walls, extensive glass breakage, large doors forced out of place, cracked concrete block walls, debris, damaged gas lines and water intrusion. Natural gas and water service to the Community Centre were shut off as a precaution.
Town officials said there was no damage to the ammonia system, but it was isolated immediately as a precaution. Qualified specialists will remove ammonia from the system.
The town said there is no ongoing risk to public safety.
Because of the level of damage and the scope of inspections required, affected areas of the Community Centre will remain unusable for an undetermined period.
Recreation staff cannot yet confirm what skating, hockey, curling or other ice-based programming and rentals will look like moving forward. Users with ice and auditorium bookings will be contacted directly by staff regarding cancellations or next steps.
“We know people are looking for answers and want to understand what happens next. Right now, several experts need time to do their work, including investigators, insurance adjusters and building inspectors,” the statement said. “Their role is to fully understand what happened and make sure the building is safe before decisions can be made.”
Town officials said there may be times when updates are limited, but new information will be shared through official Town of Taber communication channels once it is approved for release.
The Aquafun Centre was unaffected by the incident and continues to operate on its regular schedule.
Residents who feel impacted or overwhelmed by the incident are encouraged to seek support through Alberta’s Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642, available 24 hours a day.
