Media-made smoke screen over Cegep St. Laurent’s arena

An alarmist article in the Montreal Gazette has had hockey players and figure skaters of all stripes wondering if they had anything to worry about.

More than 50 rinks, including Cegep St. Laurent's Ronald Caron Arena, had reported high levels of toxic carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. The story was based on a report released last spring for which testing had been done in January. So much time had elapsed between the testing process and the story that changes had already been made to St. Laurent's ventilation system.

"Nobody took the time to call us and ask us if the situation was still the same," college spokesperson Loreto Garrido said.

To uncover the real story of what led to this media extravaganza, the college's material-resources co-coordinator Bruno Côté lays it all out.

"Between 2005 and 2006, the entire system was re-done. A new heating system was installed and we used the opportunity to install carbon-monoxide detectors," he said.

The gas, generated by internal combustion engines in the Zamboni machines, climbs up into the atmosphere after the ice is re-done.

At that point, the college decided to take the bull by the horns and buy a new electronic ice-resurfacing machine, to the tune of $150,000.

It was used for the first time Nov. 6 and provides a definitive answer to the air-quality problem in the arena.

"We think that the testers from the public-health agency showed up just after we had resurfaced the ice," Côté said, and that could well have been the case, an agency official admitted.

"It seems that there was indeed a resurfacing going on at the time of the test where the measurements were taken. According to our results, the ventilation should have been stronger," Public Health toxicologist Monique Beausoleil said.

For his part, Côté maintained that no one was in danger from the fumes "because, during the resurfacing, no one is actually allowed out on the ice until the fumes have dissipated."

No matter what, the same opinion is held by experts in the field – the college acted proactively and must be commended.

"The college's investments indicate that, if there was indeed a problem, it was addressed and that's what we're looking for," Beausoleil added. In fact, with new toxic-fumes detectors installed, the new electric ice-resurfacer and an efficient ventilation system, the arena is more of a good example to others than something to be concerned with.

The detail that is being overlooked by many concerned with the arena's air quality is the fact the acceptable norms are set way below any level considered dangerous.

"The criteria determined by our agency have no rule of law, and are set far below the limit of intoxication. The margin is quite significant," Beausoleil said.

Conclusion: if young hockey players are asked to have their breath taken away, it will be by a professional player on television – not at the Cegep St. Laurent Arena.



(Translated by Marc Lalonde)



(Photo: Martin Alarie)