Council voted unanimously on Monday to decommission an ammonia plant that had been used for maintaining the Canada Games Plaza outdoor skating rink.
The ammonia plant, which had been deemed to be nearing the end of its life expectancy by city staff, would have cost $550,000 to replace. A report prepared by city staff noted that the outdoor skating rink has seen an average of five visitors per day over the course of the winter. The Canada Games Plaza rink will remain open, but only on a weather-permitting basis.
The ammonia plant would also have incurred a further $31,300 to remain operational for the rest of this year's winter.
Councillor Garth Frizzell noted that the planned decommissioning of the ammonia plant had generated a significant amount of media coverage, but had not generated significant feedback from the public.
"It hasn't generated any calls, any e-mails, no Instagrams, no walking on the street, no talking," Frizzell said.
Frizzell estimated the high cost of replacing the plant meant that the city would incur a cost of roughly $120 per skate.
"That's getting up in the range of how much it costs to skate on Parliament Hill this last year," Frizzell said.
The city report recommended the revenue saved be used to repurpose the Plaza into a permanent outdoor event space.
