Smooth skating ahead: How municipalities are modernizing aging rinks

Community arenas and outdoor rinks are cornerstones of local life across Canada. But maintaining these facilities is no small task.

Many municipalities are contending with aging ice plants, rising energy costs, and new sustainability mandates, all while operating under tight fiscal constraints.

In response, cities are finding innovative ways to modernize rink systems and manage these costs through strategic partnerships that simplify procurement, streamline project delivery, and introduce new funding models for infrastructure renewal.

Balancing Performance, Safety, Budgets

When municipal facilities rely on aging refrigeration or HVAC systems, the consequences extend beyond maintenance headaches. Older ice plants often struggle to maintain consistent ice quality, especially during warmer seasons, while their inefficiency can significantly drive up operating costs.

At the same time, recreation departments are under pressure to meet updated safety and environmental standards. With limited budgets and staffing, many find it difficult to launch a competitive bid process or identify financing options for major upgrades.

Although this may sound overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. With a few straightforward steps, municipalities can be on their way toward modernizing and efficiently maintaining their ice rink systems.

Step 1: Collaborate with an energy service company

One increasingly common approach is to collaborate with an energy service company (ESCO) that can design customized solutions to modernize an ice rink’s infrastructure. ESCOs assess the existing system, identify areas for energy savings, and recommend technology upgrades such as modern chillers, automation systems, or fluid coolers that take advantage of Canada’s naturally cold climate.

Communities that take this route often see immediate improvements in ice quality, reduced energy use, and lower operating costs.

With Trane, which has supported hundreds of municipal rink projects across the country, the process starts with examples of local or regional success stories. Trane then collaborates with the municipality to create a customized plan, which could include solutions such as an air-cooled packaged chiller, an advanced ice plant automation system, and “free-cooling” fluid cooler to leverage cold winters.

Step 2: Simplify procurement through group purchasing

To reduce administrative hurdles, many municipalities are turning to group purchasing organizations (GPOs). These entities streamline procurement by prequalifying vendors through a competitive, compliant process — allowing cities and public agencies to purchase equipment and services without running their own bids.

Kinetic GPO, for example, was established to help the Canadian public sector leverage collective buying power and save both time and money. “Our role is to make procurement efficient and transparent while meeting all legal and policy requirements,” explained Kinetic GPO Director of Supplier Engagement Michelle McCarthy. “That means municipal leaders can focus on project outcomes, not paperwork.”

By using a GPO contract, cities can speed up delivery timelines and ensure compliance while gaining access to pre-negotiated pricing and proven vendors.

Step 3: Explore innovative funding options

Even with an efficient procurement process, funding remains a major barrier for many communities. Organizations such as SOFIAC offer an emerging model that enables public or private facility owners to move forward with energy efficiency and decarbonization projects without any upfront investment.

With zero initial cost, SOFIAC can finance up to 100 percent of a project, ensuring there’s no impact on a municipality’s cash flow or debt ratios and enabling communities to prioritize other needs while still helping to achieve sustainability goals.

SOFIAC also provides ongoing expertise to ensure projects deliver measurable energy and carbon reductions over time. “SOFIAC was created to remove financial and technical barriers to energy efficiency projects,” said SOFIAC Senior Vice President Stuart Galloway.

How the Collaboration Works

Trane, Kinetic GPO, and SOFIAC often collaborate to help municipalities move seamlessly from planning to implementation. After carefully assessing facility needs, Trane provides customized energy solutions, serving as the technical and project delivery expert.

Kinetic GPO provides the compliant procurement framework that allows municipalities to purchase Trane equipment and services without the need for a separate competitive bid process. SOFIAC complements both by offering flexible, off–balance-sheet financing options that make energy efficiency and infrastructure projects financially feasible.

Together, this trio provides municipalities with a streamlined path from problem identification to project completion, helping to reduce administrative burden, mitigating financial risk, and accelerating the modernization of community rinks and recreation facilities.

“Hockey rinks and all ice-skating rinks are an integral part of Canada’s national identity and a symbol of Canadian pride, so we understand the pressure that city leaders face in maintaining these to the highest standards,” said Rodrigues. “Our team of experts is honored to team up with SOFIAC and Kinetic GPO to offer a one-stop-shop solution that simplifies the process of helping city leaders make their ice rinks the best they can be, whether for recreational skating or a high-stakes hockey games.”

Efficiency and Community Impact

Municipalities that take this coordinated approach are seeing strong results. Comprehensive upgrades to aging rink systems can help yield:

• Significant energy savings and lower utility costs
• Improved ice quality and consistency
• Simplified operations and maintenance
• Enhanced safety and reliability
• Reduced carbon footprint

These improvements not only support environmental and fiscal responsibility but also ensure that rinks of all sizes continue to bring residents together in safe, sustainable, and welcoming spaces.

Luis Rodrigues is general manager, comprehensive energy and infrastructure solutions, at Trane