Orillia city councillors take steps to reopen Rotary Place
City of Orillia councillors are taking steps to reopen Rotary Place after closing the recreational facility when a case of Legionnaires' disease was linked to the water cooling tower earlier this month.
The health unit had said the outbreak of Legionella that infected 35 people, claiming the life of one, no longer posed a risk to the community on Nov. 7; despite that, the City kept Rotary Place closed.
At a special meeting on Thursday, councillors authorized staff to execute an agreement for the costs associated with installing a temporary refrigeration system.
The City says the cost of the system can't exceed $425,000 and would be covered by funds from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve.
Since its closure, sports organizations that rely on the facility for ice time have scrambled to come up with alternatives.
"We understand the significant impact the loss of the ice at Rotary Place has had on our ice user groups," said Mayor Don McIsaac.
The City says it hopes to have the doors to Rotary Place reopened by early January with one ice pad for use, with the second available a few weeks later.
A more long-term solution for the facility's operation is expected to be presented to councillors for consideration next week.
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