With a permanent roof and a refrigerated ice surface, this outdoor rink allows a long skating season in winter, and provides a great community space in summer.
Opened at the Canterbury Recreation Complex in late 2017, the Jim Tubman Chevrolet Sens Rink is a unique facility in Ottawa, and provides year-round benefits to the community. The steel joist canopy, supported by slender HSS columns and chevron braces, protects the ice surface from damaging sun and snow. Real hockey benches, boards, and glass provide a fantastic experience for outdoor hockey or public skating.
After the ice melts the rink becomes a basketball court, with permanent hoops lowered from the roof structure. The facility can also host movie nights and community events.
AAR’s extensive experience with ice rinks helped make this outdoor installation possible, and maximized value to the community. The light steel structure is designed to resist wind loads that pass under the roof, as well as seismic loads, and chevron bracing was used to keep the sides of the structure as open as possible. The light steel joists minimize the number of columns required, while steel extensions from the columns support an attractive cladding.