Calgary

Weeks after arena's roof collapsed, Calgary has inspected about half of other city-owned facilities

The City of Calgary says it is halfway through inspections on 40 city-owned arenas weeks after the roof collapsed at the Fairview Arena.

40 buildings constructed between 1960s and 1980s are being examined for structural integrity

The Fairview arena roof collapsed on Feb. 20, one day after the structure was deemed unsafe. (Julie Debeljak/CBC)

Nearly two weeks after the roof collapsed at the Fairview Arena in southeast Calgary, the city says it is halfway through inspections on 40 other facilities. 

Marco Civitarese, manager of building regulations, said the arenas are all city-owned facilities built between the 1960s and 1980s.

"By the end of the day today, we will have completed 20, and no threats to public safety have been found," he said in a news release on Monday. "The city will continue inspection of the remaining facilities next week."

Civitarese also said the city is starting selective demolition at the Fairview Arena to help determine the cause of the roof collapse. 

No one was injured in that collapse, which took place Feb. 20.

A day earlier, a hockey practice was stopped after players heard loud cracking noises coming from the roof. The structure was deemed unsafe by engineers and evacuated.

However, the executive director of the Indefinite Arts Centre — a group of developmentally disabled artists who operated out of a hall attached to the arena — said they only got out of the building with an hour to spare before part of the arena roof collapsed.