Arena refrigeration
Reliability, efficiency, and peace of mind, season after season.
Much more than just a refrigeration system
An arena’s performance depends on temperature, air, energy, and control. We’ve got all four under control.
Soteck Clauger designs, builds, maintains, and optimizes your plant as a single integrated system.
From the quality of the ice-making system to heat recovery, and from compliance to 24/7 service, a single team remains responsible for its performance.
In short:
Arena refrigeration is the industrial system that produces and maintains an ice surface. In Quebec, these systems use ammonia, transcritical CO₂, or HFO. Soteck Clauger has been designing, installing, maintaining, and decommissioning these systems since 2003 throughout Eastern Canada.
| 2003 | 11 | 8 | 24/7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Our first event at an arena |
Active Arenas and Sports Centers |
Regions of Quebec Served |
Child Care and Emergency Response Services |
Behind these projects is the Soteck Clauger service team. We handle approximately 1,500 service calls per year with a staff of about 40 specialists: 14 refrigeration technicians, 8 pipefitters, 6 sheet metal workers, 6 electricians, 4 engineers, and 2 welders. We hold RBQ license 8221-6458-2 and CMEQ certification. A technician will arrive on-site within 4 hours, 24 hours a day, and within 3 hours with an on-call contract.
the topics you’ll find on this page
What Is Driving Changes in Arena refrigeration Systemsin Quebec
A manager who plans today isn’t replacing a piece of equipment… He’s replacing a decision made forty years ago.
Quebec has approximately 395 arenas (source 1), and no one knows exactly what condition their arena refrigeration systems are in. In 2022, the Quebec Committee on Hockey Development called for a comprehensive audit of the plants. That audit has never been published.
The most reliable data comes from Natural Resources Canada. In 2013, 71% of Quebec’s arenas were more than 30 years old, and 62% used R-22 (source 2). Thirteen years later, that same group has now surpassed 45 years of age. However, an arena’s refrigeration system typically lasts between 20 and 30 years, depending on the refrigerant.
Three regulatory pressures are closing in simultaneously on arena refrigeration in Quebec. None of the three can be addressed by a simple maintenance budget.
- The supply of the refrigerant was cut off on January1, 2020; since then, no new R-22 has entered Canada (source 3). What is still in circulation is recovered gas, in decreasing volumes and at rising prices. A major leak therefore becomes a supply issue, and no longer just a repair issue.
- The federal HFC schedule reduces the consumption allowance to 60% of the baseline for 2024 through 2028, and then to 30% for 2029 through 2033 (source 4). Supply will therefore be cut in half in 2029, even though a system installed in 2026 will still be in operation.
- As of January1, 2021, Quebec’s installation regulations prohibit any new equipment rated at 20 kW or more that is designed for a halocarbon with a GWP greater than 1,500 (source 5). This excludes R-404A, R-507A, and R-410A, and all arena refrigeration systems fall into this category.
Halocarbon Regulation, RLRQ Chapter Q-2, Reg. 29, Section 19
“No person may manufacture, sell, distribute, or install any equipment referred to in Section 18 that is designed to operate with a CFC or an HCFC. Furthermore, no person may alter or modify such equipment to enable it to operate with a CFC or an HCFC.”
Under the version effective as of April1, 2026, this means that no new R-22 systems may be installed in Quebec and that no existing systems may be converted to another HCFC. Section 22 also requires an annual leak test, with no more than 15 months between tests.
Ammonia (R-717) and CO₂ (R-744) are not halocarbons. Their global warming potential, or GWP, is less than 10: it is approximately 0 for ammonia and 1 for CO₂. They are therefore not subject to the federal HFC reduction schedule. This is the fundamental reason why 75% of new arena refrigeration projects were already opting for ammonia as early as 2008 (source 2).
The question is no longer whether your arena’s refrigeration system will be replaced, but whether it will be a planned replacement or an unplanned one.
Six phases: one point of contact for your arena’s refrigeration system
An arena’s refrigeration system changes suppliers three or four times over its useful life, and each change results in the loss of the system’s history.
We handle all six phases of an arena’s refrigeration system lifecycle. We become your external refrigeration department, without the fixed costs of maintaining an in-house team year-round.
| Step | Description | Actions / Expertise / Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
|
Research and Design |
Before proposing a system, we evaluate the one that’s already in place. |
Report on the Machine Room and Actual Load Analysis of the slab, the rink piping, and the insulation Energy Balance for Refrigeration, Heating, Ventilation, and Hot Water 20-Year Comparison of NH₃, CO₂, and Hybrid Systems Budget Estimates and Scenarios by Phase |
|
Design-Build |
We submit bids under the BSDQ system for public tenders. |
Plans and estimates; approval by the Building Authority Machine room, NH₃ and CO₂ piping, sheet metal work CSA-Certified Electrical Panels and Automation Air Treatment, Dehumidification, Emergency Ventilation Coordination with the architect and the owner’s engineer |
|
Commissioning |
Commissioning is a deliverable, not just a formality at the end of a project. |
Leak tests, vacuum testing, controlled loading Checking Alarms and Emergency Ventilation Setting Sequences and Setpoints Training operators on their own equipment Submission of the operator’s manual and certified plans |
|
Operation and Maintenance |
This is where the true cost of your ice cream comes into play. |
Scheduled Season Openings and Closings Preventive maintenance of an ammonia-based arena, under contract Annual leak test in accordance with regulations Compressor Overhaul and Refurbishment 24/7 Monitoring and Emergency Response to Leaks |
|
Optimization |
An existing system is often upgraded rather than replaced. |
Flash Energy Audit: One Day On-Site Heat Recovery in an Arena for the Stands and Water Advanced Control and Continuous Measurement in MyPortal3E Dehumidification and Airflow Restoration Preparing the incentive application and modeling the ROI |
|
End of Life |
The phase that no one talks about, and the one that puts the homeowner at the greatest risk. |
Regulatory recovery of the fluid by certified personnel Decontamination and Flushing of Circuits Dismantling of the machinery room and piping Records and Certificates for the Building File Recycling of Recoverable Components |
This continuity makes all the difference when it comes time to replace an arena’s refrigeration system. We already know the floor slab, the rink system, and the complete history of breakdowns. The preliminary survey then takes just a few hours instead of several weeks.
One partner, one point of accountability, one number to call.
Ammonia, CO₂, or hybrid arena refrigeration: the choice will have implications over the next 20 years
All three technologies have their merits, and the deciding factor depends on your thermal load profile, the condition of your mechanical room, and your investment capacity.
The CanmetÉNERGIE Varennes study remains the only independent public model of arena refrigeration in Quebec. It focuses on the Camillien-Houde Arena in Montreal, a 3,733 m² ice surface in operation nine months a year. The figures date from 2013, and we present them as such. The differences between technologies remain valid, though the absolute costs have changed.
| Configuration | Refrigeration (kWh) | Heating (kWh) | Total (kWh) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Transcritical CO₂ |
291,100 |
90,500 |
381,600 |
-30 % |
|
NH₃ monoblock |
407,000 |
77,100 |
484,100 |
-11 % |
|
Conventional NH₃ (reference) |
383,400 |
159,000 |
542,400 |
0 % |
|
Existing R-22 |
550,200 |
469 300 |
1,019,500 |
+88 % |
Modeled annual energy consumption, including both refrigeration and heating. Reference single-rink arena, operated for nine months. Source: Natural Resources Canada, CanmetENERGY Varennes, 2013.
The heating system accounts for almost the entire difference between the configurations. An R-22 system consumes 469,300 kWh for heating, compared to 77,100 kWh for a well-designed monobloc ammonia system. The cost of an arena’s refrigeration system does not come from the compressor; it comes from the heat sent to the condenser while baseboard heaters warm the bleachers.
What Really Sets the Three Arena refrigeration Technologies Apart
| Criterion | Ammonia (R-717) | Transcritical CO₂ (R-744) | NH₃/CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Global Warming Potential |
0 |
1 |
0 and 1 |
|
Estimated service life |
30 years |
25 years |
25 to 30 years old |
|
Toxicity |
Toxic; odour detectable well before the danger threshold |
Non-toxic; suffocating in confined spaces |
Ammonia confined to the mechanical room |
|
Design Pressure |
Moderate, standard steel piping |
High, up to 1,750 lb/in², stainless steel |
High in CO₂ |
|
Typical load |
Less than 3 kg per tons in newer designs, compared with about 9 kg in older plants |
High load in a direct circuit |
About 350 lb of CO₂, compared to more than 1,000 lb live |
|
Regulatory Oversight |
Stationary Machinery Mechanic, standardized cost of $16,000 per year in 2013 |
No equivalent requirement for continuous monitoring |
Depending on the residual ammonia load |
|
Heat Recovery |
Good, excellent as a single unit |
Excellent, high discharge temperature |
Less efficient than direct CO₂ capture |
|
Cost of installation |
Contract Reference Number |
Higher, high-pressure components |
The highest price at the time of purchase |
Design guidelines. The PRPs, service life, and loads are taken from the 2013 CanmetENERGY study. The operating pressures and operational stresses are based on current practice and CSA B 52:23.
When We Recommend Ammonia
A code-compliant, well-ventilated mechanical room; trained staff; a high thermal load to be recovered; a 30-year lifespan. A modern, low-load arena refrigeration system bears no resemblance to a system from the 1980s. Montreal has demonstrated this with its own plants, where the load per installation dropped from 5,000 lb in 2005 to approximately 170 lb in 2010 (source 6).
When We Recommend CO₂
A building without a compliant mechanical room, close proximity to neighbouring structures, a high demand for heat recovery, and no mechanical engineer specializing in stationary equipment. CO₂ systems in arenas have been in use in Quebec since 2011, the year the first entirely CO₂-powered ice rink was built (source 7). We already maintain transcritical CO₂ systems in operation at ice rinks across Quebec.
When We Recommend a Hybrid
When reducing the ammonia load becomes the primary political issue, without sacrificing heat recovery. The ammonia remains confined to the mechanical room, and the CO₂ circulates on its own beneath the floor slab.
We don’t sell a fluid; we champion a vision
A supplier who comes in with a technology already chosen hasn’t taken a look at your building. Instead, we provide three cost estimates for arena refrigeration systems over a 20-year period. These estimates include investment, operation, maintenance, regulatory oversight, and residual value.
You then make your choice, and the city council has a solid basis for justifying that choice to its taxpayers.
We do not recommend a technology that we have not modeled for your building.
An arena that has changed management three times no longer has up-to-date plans
We see this regularly when we visit mechanical rooms, both in arenas and in sports centers. The emergency response plan refers to an outdated version of the standard, and the leak log is incomplete.
No one on the current team was present during the last commissioning. The day a firefighter asks to see the operator’s manual, the municipality discovers the hole.
Compiling this file is part of our maintenance services and is not an additional service billed separately.
What Arena Refrigeration Compliance Actually Requires
- CSA B 52:23 has been in effect in Quebec since February1, 2025 (source 10). A system designed under B52-13 or B52-18 therefore operates under a more recent code. Any replacement project must comply with the 2023 edition.
- Continuous monitoring is based on two thresholds: the CNESST sets the first alarm at 25 or 35 ppm, and the second at a maximum of 300 ppm, which is the concentration immediately life-threatening (source 11).
- Mechanical ventilation system independent of the equipment room, operating continuously if the room is located in the basement. Automatic activation at 300 ppm or sooner; airflow rates calculated according to the equations in CSA B52.
- Respiratory protection complies with CSA Z94.4, using a full-face mask with cartridges rated for 35 to 250 ppm and a self-contained breathing apparatus, which is required for concentrations above 300 ppm or when the concentration is unknown.
- The emergency response plan must be documented and tested, a requirement set forth in sections 51 and 56 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and sections 34 and 35 of the regulation (source 12). Quebec’s response protocol calls for contacting a refrigeration technician at 25 ppm and dialing 911 at 200 ppm.
- Annual leak test on all components containing halocarbons, with no more than 15 months between tests. A new test is required between the30th and60th day after a leak is repaired (source 5).
- An up-to-date operator’s manual, including plans, technical data, and maintenance logs, accessible to emergency services.
Arena refrigeration accounts for half of your electricity bill
An ice arena in operation for nine months consumes up to 1 ,780 MWh per year, 50% of which is used for refrigeration and 30% for heating.
These two units are actually one and the same. The compressor generates high-temperature heat, which a poorly configured arena refrigeration system directs straight to the condenser. Meanwhile, baseboard heaters warm the bleachers, and a water heater prepares the resurfacing water. According to a 2013 study, 80% of Quebec arenas already have a heat recovery system (source 2). Many use it only to preheat domestic hot water.
Where does the recovered heat go in a well-designed arena?
- Heating of the stands and public areas, using radiant heating or through the ventilation system. The load profile matches exactly that of ice production.
- Resurfacing water, an energy-intensive and recurring expense, is used up to twelve times a day during peak season.
- Under-slab heating, which prevents the ground beneath a continuously operated ice rink from heaving due to freezing.
- Domestic hot water for the locker rooms, the easiest to connect and often the only system in use.
- Regeneration of the dehumidifier, which closes the loop between the room’s latent load and the refrigeration load.
- Melting snow for resurfacing, as a replacement for an electrically heated pit.
Heat recovery in arenas alone reduces energy consumption and costs by more than 40% (source 2). Hydro-Québec provides funding for up to 75% of the costs associated with this measure. An additional 10% bonus is added for two combined categories of measures, and 15% for three (source 13).
Moisture: The Other Half of the Problem
A fogged-up window, damp bleachers, and a ceiling that drips onto the surface. These are symptoms of latent heat, not insufficient refrigeration capacity. The usual reflex is to lower the floor temperature setpoint. This increases the electricity bill without ever addressing the root cause of the problem.
So we treat the air before we deal with the refrigeration. The latent heat removed from the arena is a load that the compressor no longer has to contend with. This is the exact point where our two areas of expertise converge. For us, air treatment and arena refrigeration are handled by the same team and in the same mechanical room.
Few companies cover both, and yet that’s where the easiest profits lie.
The Benefits of an Energy Efficiency Project for a Quebec Municipality
At the Candiac Sports Complex, studies funded by the Municipal Green Fund estimate annual savings of up to $41,000, or $620,400 over 20 years, with an 84% reduction in GHG emissions. At the Roméo-V.-Patenaude Complex in the same city, the calculations show savings of up to $17,231 per year and an 82% reduction (source 14).
Figures taken from the City of Candiac’s feasibility studies published by the FCM in 2024. They cannot be applied directly to your building. They provide an order of magnitude that a thorough study can document.
Our expertise in arena refrigeration lies in the existing system
We’re no strangers to the arena. We’re innovative, and we’re a reliable player on your team. That’s exactly what our internal systems show.
Quebec’s plants are aging, and that’s exactly where we excel. Designing a new arena refrigeration system on a blank slate is an engineering challenge. Extending the life of an operational mechanical room by thirty years, between two hockey seasons, without canceling a single hour of ice time, is an entirely different one. We’ve been tackling this second challenge for twenty-three years.
Our longest-standing contract for arena refrigeration services totals 61 service calls and 267 hours of work. It has never experienced a single interruption from one season to the next since 2011. The technician who arrives is therefore familiar with the system even before opening the door to the mechanical room.
From a technical standpoint, we recondition Mycom ammonia compressors both in our shop and on-site. The N4WA, N6WA, N8WA, and C5-W06A models are documented at five different arenas in our portfolio. We also service in-service screw compressors and transcritical CO₂ systems. Finally, we submit bids under the BSDQ system for public tenders for arena and ice rink refrigeration projects.
Three Things a General Contractor Can’t Offer You
- Cold and air on the same team. The fog above the ice is controlled by the air treatment system, never by the compressor. No one passes the buck between two suppliers, because there’s only one.
- Compressor overhaul in the shop. We disassemble, recondition, and reassemble ammonia-based Mycom units ourselves. A reconditioned compressor costs a fraction of the price of a new one and will provide several more years of service.
- A written commitment to performance. Our status as an energy-efficiency services company places us under a contractual obligation to deliver the savings we report in the incentive application.
Ask us for our references by project phase, and we’ll provide you with phone numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions AboutArena refrigeration
These questions about arena refrigeration come from recreation directors, public works managers, and ice resurfacing machine operators. The answers are exactly the same as the ones we provide on-site.
1. My arena still uses R-22. Am I in violation?
No. The Halocarbon Regulations prohibit the manufacture, sale, installation, or conversion of equipment to HCFCs, but they do not prohibit the operation of an existing system or its recharge. Therefore, you are not in violation of the law with your current installation.
Your real challenge lies elsewhere, and it’s commercial rather than legal. As of January1, 2020, no new R-22 is entering Canada. The gas still available is recovered or reclaimed, in decreasing quantities and at rising prices. In the event of a major leak, the real issue becomes supply, not the cost of repair. And if the system fails, the law requires you to switch to a different technology, immediately and without subsidies.
2. Is it possible to modernize an arena’s refrigeration system without replacing the entire system?
Yes, and it’s often the best value for the money. An arena refrigeration system with a mechanical room, floor slab, and track network in good condition can be significantly improved without changing the refrigerant. This includes restoring heat recovery, implementing advanced controls, installing variable-speed drives, replacing the condenser, adjusting dehumidification, and overhauling the compressors.
The decision is based on the condition of the slab and the rink piping, never on the age of the compressor. A compressor can be reconditioned, whereas a cracked slab with a corroded rink piping cannot be repaired. That is therefore the first thing we check during an inspection of the machinery room.
We then compare the two scenarios side by side over a 20-year period, taking into account maintenance and monitoring. In many cases, modernization delays replacement by ten years at one-fifth the cost.
3. How much does it cost to service a hockey arena’s refrigeration compressor?
For a piston compressor, a complete mechanical overhaul on a flat-rate basis generally costs between $10,000 and $30,000, according to estimates. The price varies depending on the scope of the overhaul and the condition of the components. The service takes 3 to 6 days, depending on the model and the number of technicians.
The frequency depends on operating hours, never on the calendar. An arena refrigeration compressor that runs for nine months accumulates far more hours than seasonal industrial equipment. Tracking operating hours and performing oil analysis help plan off-season maintenance, once the ice has already been removed.
A complete replacement with a new compressor can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the capacity. That is precisely why scheduled maintenance costs less than dealing with a breakdown.
4. When is the best time to perform maintenance on an ice-making system?
The window is short and highly competitive among contractors. The ice is removed between late April and mid-May, then reinstalled around mid-August. A major arena refrigeration project must be completed entirely within this timeframe. However, manufacturers of compressors and heat exchangers often take more than three months to deliver.
In practical terms, a replacement project to be carried out next summer is decided upon the previous fall. Site surveys and planning take place in the fall; plans, cost estimates, and the incentive application are prepared in the winter; and the request for proposals is issued in early spring. Orders for equipment with long lead times are placed immediately after the results of the request for proposals are announced. Almost all projects that fall outside this timeframe began in February.
For routine maintenance, the start and end of the season are the two dates to schedule. We include them in the contract rather than handling them as service calls.
5. Is a plant maintenance technician required for an ammonia-based plant?
In Quebec, this requirement is governed by the Act respecting mechanics of stationary machinery and the Regulation respecting pressure-containing systems. The threshold and certificate level depend on the power and configuration of your system. The response requires that the nameplate and approved plans have been reviewed.
What we can say is that this monitoring comes at a cost that must be factored into the comparison of technologies. The 2013 CanmetENERGY study estimated this cost at $16,000 per year. For a municipality struggling to recruit staff, the amount matters less than the availability of the person.
This is one of the factors that tips the balance in favor of CO₂ in certain cases, and we explicitly quantify this component in our comparative scenarios.
6. What happens when an arena is closed or an ice rink is abandoned?
Shutdown is the phase least regulated in contracts, and the one that poses the greatest risk to the owner. A system left in place with its refrigerant remains under pressure. It contains a toxic substance or a regulated halocarbon in a building that is no longer monitored in the same way.
The work includes the proper recovery of the fluid by certified personnel, along with the corresponding records. This is followed by the flushing and decontamination of the systems, the dismantling of the mechanical room and piping, and the issuance of certificates. Certain components have resale value, which reduces the net bill.
We take on these projects, including those involving plants we did not build.
7. Our window is fogging up and water is dripping from the ceiling. Do we need more refrigeration capacity?
Almost never. Fog above the ice and condensation on the structure are signs of latent moisture. This is moisture that the ventilation system lets in but that isn’t being removed. Lowering the floor temperature setting makes the problem worse while increasing the energy bill.
Climate control relies entirely on air treatment rather than refrigeration capacity. Dehumidification capacity and cycles, airflow rates adjusted to actual occupancy rather than continuous maximum levels, and airtightness of the building envelope and doors. It is also necessary to manage air inflow during tournaments, when crowds increase the occupancy load.
This is the exact point where our two areas of expertise converge, whether in an arena or a multi-pad sports centre. Learn more about our expertise in ventilation and air treatment.
8. Who handles arena refrigeration in Quebec and Eastern Canada?
Soteck Clauger is a Quebec-based company founded in 1993 in Victoriaville. With offices in Victoriaville, Montreal, and Trois-Rivières, it has been a subsidiary of the French Clauger Group since 2019. More than 110 experts in ultra-hygienic air treatment, industrial NH₃ and CO₂ refrigeration, piping, electrical systems, automation, and energy efficiency.
We have been providing arena refrigeration services in Quebec since 2003, across eight administrative regions. From Centre-du-Québec to Abitibi-Témiscamingue, from Capitale-Nationale to Bas-Saint-Laurent, including Montérégie, Laval, Mauricie, and Estrie.
A technician will arrive on-site within 4 hours, our service is available 24 hours a day, and within 3 hours if you have an on-call contract. Contact us for a no-obligation visit to your mechanical room.
Arena refrigeration in Quebec: 8 Facts
- Quebec has approximately 395 arenas, 71% of which were already more than 30 years old in 2013. Sources: Quebec Ministry of Education, 2022, and Natural Resources Canada, 2013.
- No new R-22 systems may be installed in Quebec. Section 19 of the Halocarbon Regulations prohibits this, and it also prohibits conversion to another HCFC.
- As of January1, 2021, new equipment with a capacity of 20 kW or more may not use a halocarbon with a GWP greater than 1, This excludes R-404A, R-507A, and R-410A.
- Ammonia and CO₂ are completely exempt from the regulatory schedule because they are not halocarbons, and their global warming potentials are 0 and 1, respectively.
- Arena refrigeration accounts for 50% of the building’s electricity consumption, and heating accounts for 30%. Heat recovery alone reduces the bill by more than 40%.
- CSA B 52:23 has been in effect in Quebec since February1, 2025, and any project to replace an ice-making system must now comply with it.
- An ammonia-based arena refrigeration system requires two-threshold detection, an independent emergency ventilation system, and a documented emergency response plan. Responsibility lies with both the building owner and the employer.
- Four funding programs will remain open in August 2026: Hydro-Québec’s “Efficient Solutions” and “Energy Analysis” programs, the Green Municipal Fund, and ÉcoPerformance.
Content approved by:
Jonathan Desmars
Sales and Development Manager
, Industrial Refrigeration & HVAC
Nearly twenty years of experience in industrial refrigeration, ranging from commercial installations to food processing, pharmaceutical, and maritime applications. At Soteck Clauger, he oversaw the first scheduled shutdown of an ammonia condenser and the first complete mechanical overhaul of a compressor in a shop. He personally oversees arena refrigeration projects, from the initial visit to the mechanical room through to commissioning.
This page was written on August 18, 2026, with regulatory data and funding programs verified as of that date.
Conclusion and Sources
For an arena, ice rink, or multi-pad sports centre, the choice between ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) should be based on the arena’s actual needs, its energy profile, and the desired level of risk management. These natural refrigerants each offer advantages, but also present distinct challenges in terms of safety, operation, efficiency, and compliance.
The selection of a refrigerant therefore requires a thorough analysis of the risks associated with the building, the equipment, operations, and the expertise available to manage them. Each refrigerant has its own specific requirements: pressure, ventilation, detection, maintenance, training, and emergency procedures. Reducing risk depends as much on the design as on the quality of operational practices.
For a municipality, as well as for other industrial or recreational plants, comparing technological options also makes it possible to anticipate regulatory changes, operating costs, and the transition to fluids with a lower environmental impact. Before making a decision, it is therefore important to consider expected performance, technical constraints, risks, and long-term needs.
This approach allows for decisions that are better suited to the current realities of NH₃ and CO₂ arena refrigeration systems.
Soteck Clauger has been designing, installing, maintaining, and dismantling arena refrigeration systems in Quebec and Eastern Canada since 2003. Response time of less than 4 hours, 24-hour service, RBQ license 8221-6458-2 and CMEQ certification.
All pages were accessed on August 18, 2026. The energy consumption data available in Canada for arenas dates from 2013 and 2014. No more recent public studies exist, and we consistently cite the year rather than presenting these figures as current.
- Quebec Ministry of Education, Hockey: Our Passion. Report by the Quebec Committee on Hockey Development , 2022, p. 37. View the report
- Natural Resources Canada, CanmetENERGY Varennes, Comparative Study of Refrigeration Systems for Ice Arenas, 2013. View the study
- Government of Canada, Ozone-Depleting Substances and Alternative Halocarbons Regulations, SOR/2016-137, section 38. Updated as of June 17, 2026. View the rules
- Same as above, Section 65.06, schedule for the phased reduction of HFCs.
- Government of Quebec, Halocarbons Regulation, RLRQ Chapter Q-2, Reg. 29, Sections 18, 19, 21.2, and 22. Version effective as of April1, 2026. View the regulation
- Colleen O’Shea, “How Montreal Made Ammonia Safe for Its Ice Rinks,” HPAC Magazine, June 8, 2021. Read the article
- First CO₂ System for Ice Rinks Installed in Quebec, Contracting Business, May 19, 2011. Read the article
- Technical Safety BC, Fernie Investigation Report: Findings and Recommendations, July 25, 2018. View the report
- WorkSafeBC, Investigation Report Summary, Reference 2017160530032, August 2018. View the summary. Technical Safety BC Safety Order SO-BP 2017-02, December 22, 2017.
- CETAF, “When Will the 2023 Edition of the Code on Mechanical Refrigeration Take Effect?”, November 5, 2024. Read the notice. Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Regulation on Pressure Vessels, Section 6.
- CNESST, Ammonia-based refrigeration systems. Preventive measures ,2nd edition. Consult the guide. The thresholds in ppm and the ventilation principles remain valid. The normative references cited in the guide predate the current editions.
- APSAM, “Developing an Emergency Response Plan for Ammonia-Heated Arenas,” published April 27, 2015, updated July 8, 2026. View the fact sheet
- Hydro-Québec, Effective Solutions, Participation Guide, Medium and Large Businesses Section, March 2026. View the guide. Offers for municipalities
- Green Municipal Fund, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Fact Sheet: Electrification in the Context of Municipal Building Renovations in Quebec, 2024. View the fact sheet
- Quebec Federation of Municipalities, Summary of the Report on Municipal Infrastructure, March 3, 2026, based on the report by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, “Act Now to Prevent Tomorrow’s Divide,” January 29, 2026. Read the summary
- Funding Programs: PAFIRSPA, page updated on July 9, 2026. View. ÉcoPerformance, regulatory framework dated July 7, 2026. View. Green Municipal Fund. View