The awarding of two contracts collectively worth $155,000 marks the start of a $1.25 million roofing job at the Trail Memorial Centre, most of which will be covered by a federal grant.
Local company Power Tech Electric Ltd. received the $82,000 Cominco Arena lighting contract after coming in with the lowest of five bids.
The project will replace metal-halide light fixtures in the rink with LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) that include control features for a ‘greater game-day experience,’ explained the Deputy Director Robert Baker from Trail parks and recreation.
“The city separated the lighting work from the rest of the project …” he said. “In order for the lighting to be installed before the start of the 2018 ice season, the city recognized it needed to expedite this component of the project.”
In addition to the Power Tech contract, Trail council members awarded $73,000 to Hi-Pro Sporting Goods Ltd. during the May 14 governance meeting.
Hi-Pro, a company based in Vernon, submitted the lone bid for a leg of work that involves the installation of a low-emissivity ceiling in the Cominco Arena.
“This is a highly specialized product with only a few companies that could have potentially bid and completed the job within the time requirements,” clarified Chief Administrative Officer David Perehudoff. “This isn’t a job where you can simply issue a PO (Purchase Order) and say show up when you show up - we need this up and installed before the beginning of August when city staff start to install ice,” he explained.
“The company could do the installation when the ice is in, but that would be less than ideal because of all the cutting and materials involved as well as the potential to disrupt early use, ” Perehudoff added.
“It will be very advantageous to see this work completed soon and moving on this now puts the city in the best position to accomplish this.”
Radiant heat transfer between the roof of a rink and the ice beneath is the single greatest factor behind heat gain in a typical arena. A low emissivity (Low E) ceiling acts as a highly efficient barrier to radiant heat transfer between the two surfaces,which significantly reduces the refrigeration load.
“The ceiling prevents the transmission of radiant heat energy from the ceiling to the ice, saving a significant amount of energy,” Baker explained. “The new ceiling will be screwed to the underside of the roof deck, between wood purlins. The iron truss and wood purlins will remain exposed, the ceiling will run from side to wall, and end to end.”
Roof repairs, which were fully dependent upon grant dollars, received the council’s go-ahead earlier this year after the project was approved for up to $1.16 million through Federal Gas Tax Funding.
The grant will pay for most of the project, which includes replacement of the arena’s 40,170-square-foot roof system, installation of a low emissivity ceiling and new halide lights, asbestos removal in the current roof glue and cement board, project management, federal project signage, and a 15 per cent project contingency.
”I just want to clarify one point with regard to the two contracts at the TMC,” Mayor Mike Martin said during May 14 council. “There’s lighting and roofing for the ceiling - those are both within the overall roof replacement contract for $1.25 million that Trail council approved previously of which a majority is being received through the gas tax funding - I know we’ve approved a lot of contracts today but just wanted to provide it in that context.”