It may feel like winter outside but inside a normally busy southern Manitoba arena, ice is nowhere to be found.
For the past two weeks the arena in the city of Winkler, home to around 14,000 people, has been out of commission.
A mechanical failure in the ice plant on Nov. 1 forced the city to shut down the arena leaving figure skaters, minor hockey teams and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winkler Flyers looking elsewhere for ice time.
Officials with the City of Winkler said repairs are underway and they expect the rink to reopen by Nov. 30.
The cost of repairs could come in around $140,000, officials said.
The community hopes insurance will cover the expense.
Surrounding communities like Morden have come forward to give the people of Winkler a place to play games and hold practices.
A second arena is slated to be built in Winkler but it’s not expected to be ready until the fall of 2019.
