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J UNE 2017 | 85 West Fraser Centre West Fraser Centre by LAURIE JONES T he City of Quesnel and Cariboo Regional District will soon be the celebrating the opening of its West Fraser Centre, a 60,000-square-foot, 1,400 seat arena and events centre. The original arena, built in the late 1950s, could not handle the current needs of the community. "This is a regional project, a partnership between the City and the Cariboo Regional District," says Jeff Norburn, director of community services for the City of Quesnel. "It has been a long time coming. People have been talking about a new arena since I came here in 2001 so it will be nice to finally have it open." Construction on the project began in the spring of 2016 and the opening date is scheduled for September 2017. "While the arena focuses on hockey in the winter, we definitely have other activities happening during the rest of the year," says Norburn. "We currently have tradeshows, retirement parties, dances, grad celebrations and horse shows like the Lipizzaner stallions. The new facility will have much better acoustics and comfortable seating so we expect more concerts and live performances will happen, particularly in the off-season." West Fraser Timber, who is a major financial contributor to the building, is also a significant part of the team. "This was a huge investment for the community and the design team wanted to make sure the project would deliver on the expectations," says Peter Mitchell, principal, MKT Development Group Inc. "From what I can tell, I think all of the benchmarks are going to be met and everyone can be very proud of it." He adds that the arena is the heart of the community in many ways, so having a newer, nicer looking and more accommodating facility will enhance that. Mitchell says the final design included some stunning wood features to honour the fact that Quesnel is a forestry-based city, specifically the wood-clad ceiling that runs from end to end. Wood is also featured on the centrally located broadcast booth for announcing and filming hockey games or other activities. The City and Regional District recently announced that the local curling club will host the 2019 provincial playdowns for men's and women's curling in the new arena."We believe the new arena will attract more sports tourism activities," says Norburn. "Previously, we didn't have the venues for local sports clubs to host tournaments. There has also been some interest expressed in seeing a Junior B hockey team come to Quesnel." David Mick, project manager with HDR|CEI Architecture Associates, Inc., says the main entrance to the facility features extensive glazing and a solid wood canopy on the exterior made with CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) panels. "We are also considering wood wall panelling around the exterior walls of the concourse level. That area was always intended to be a walking track for residents to use either while family members are playing or practising hockey, or for anyone who wants to exercise out of the elements, particularly in snow or inclement weather." He notes people often do walking in shopping malls, but this is another option for a safe environment to get some exercise. A wide staircase leads from the main entrance to the concourse level where people can get food and drinks at the concession before heading to their seats. And it is not just the arena that will add to the community's gathering places. "A corridor between the new facility, the new parking lot and the existing curling rink is an important pedestrian path," Mick explains. "It was in existence before we started our building and is a direct link between downtown and the park, an important link that our design maintains. The park is used frequently, including during the famous Billy Barker Days event." The West Fraser Centre was a quick build due in part to the insulated panels in the envelope, says Matt van Goor, project manager, Vic Van Isle Construction Ltd. "The building is a steel structure with a wood ceiling facade. The ceiling is an integration of one by six slats, and we nested an acoustic insulation behind it. In doing so, we have been able to conceal some of the piping and the electrical infrastructure. The design of this ceiling should offer some improved acoustics and dampen the sound." Van Goor says one of the challenges in this project was the stepped suspended slab bleachers. "The finished product was excellent, but it took a lot of work to get the initial form work in place because it was intricate. After that it was just repetition." A concourse level banquet room at the end of the arena features two doors leading out to private seating that could allow liquor away from the general bleachers. Another unique feature of the arena is the truss system. "We spent a lot of time with the trusses and support columns," says Oliver Brandt, structural project engineer with Fast + Epp. "One of the most important aspects of this job was coming up with an efficient truss design for the roof that looked interesting and was esthetically pleasing, but didn't break the bank. We worked together with CEI and the whole project team to pull everything together." Beyond a state-of-the-art refrigeration system for the rink, the building has a low temperature hydronic system. "Low temperature water is delivered to hydronic coils and distributed heat pumps," says Cassidy Taylor, associate, AME Group. "A low temperature system does not require insulation, which translates into a significant savings in both material and labour over conventional systems. The domestic water and the Zamboni fill are boosted to higher temperatures." He says the arena's design also incorporated four large ceiling fans to help with air flow and ventilation during the summer, providing free cooling to the space. A LOCATION Carson Avenue & Kinchant Street, Quesnel, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER/GC City of Quesnel / Cariboo Regional District PROJECT MANAGER MKT Development Group Inc. ARCHITECT HDR|CEI Architecture Associates, Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR Vic Van Isle Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp MECHANICAL CONSULTANT AME Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT MCL Engineering TOTAL SIZE 60,000 square feet TOTAL COST $18 million RENDERING COURTESY HDR|CEI ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATES, INC.

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