There's been a delay with the main ice rink at the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex opening.

The main ice slab is in the process of being replaced along with other upgrades to the boards.

Due to some new issues that popped up once the old cement ice slab was removed, the re-opening of the rink has been delayed.

Engineering Project Lead Kailee Erdman shared the news at a recent High River Town Council meeting.

"So, our startup was anticipated to be September 30 and our new startup date will be October 20 with the new schedule."

The good news to taxpayers is, there are no additional costs.

"It will fall within budget, so it falls within the contingency, so this isn't an ask for more money, but the scope does have an impact on the schedule."

Erdman went into detail on why there is a delay.

"The scope change comes from our demolition and unforeseen construction standards that we came across during the demolition and potentially some lower standards at the time on how it was constructed. These challenges have led us to evaluate what options would be available to us. The option we're bringing forward... the curbs are the areas that are the issue during the demolition and we're recommending the scope to replace the curb areas with refrigerated floor, raise your rink slab by eight inches, raising the Zamboni floor to match that rink slab, replace your dasher boards because they are currently designed to work around the curbs and so modifying them versus buying new there's not a huge difference between them and then reusing our glass, our glass is still in good condition."

She also explained why they will be replaced. 

"The dasher boards came up because we have the option of either modifying them or replacing them with new. But to give some context around it, the dasher boards were replaced in 2014, the kickplates right now are already needing replacement, the puck board only has about five years left on it. And on the player's box, penalty box, all the gates just due to the wear and tear on them and just the style of boards and hinges that end was looking for a rebuild or replacement as it was because it wasn't functioning properly, and they were all quite bent. Raising the slab will also provide us with a little bit less of a lip when it comes to stepping onto the ice. I think right now you have a fairly sizable step onto the ice, and this will make it a lot more accessible. So, while it won't make it a zero entry it will bring it a whole lot closer so we maybe only have a half-inch, maybe a one-inch lip that you're standing onto the ice."

"So, these changes will bring us to a standard slab design that has a 50-year plus life cycle on it, it will give us better uniform ice because we will have refrigerated slab all the way underneath the boards, so you won't have any of that potential soft ice when you get around the boards. And it will address any of the issues in construction and deterioration that we have discovered during the demolition."

Town council voted unanimously to pass the new changes.