Cost to repair IGF stadium grows to $13M as Pallister government promises review

It's barely three-years-old, but the repair bill for Investors Group Field is mounting and the new Progressive Conservative government vows to find out what went wrong.

Triple B Stadium Inc., the consortium that oversaw the construction of the sports complex, has spent $8.66 million this year alone on repair work. The total since the work began has now exceeded $13 million. The province has backed a $35.3 million loan guarantee to cover all the repairs.

Triple B is made up of the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Football Club and the University of Manitoba.

Andrew Konowalchuk, the chair of Triple B, told CBC News via email the work forms part of an ongoing lawsuit against construction firm Stuart Olson and architect Ray Wan.

"These repairs have addressed a number of the significant deficiencies which were described in the claim against the architect and general contractor," Konowalchuk wrote.

Extensive repairs will take years

CBC News was given a tour of the facility with Triple B Stadium's project manager to see the completed work first-hand and get a look at what's next. There are still many more repairs to be done and likely won't be completed until 2018.

By far the biggest problems is leakage and water that pooled throughout the stadium, the project manager said.

According to Triple B, after extensive investigation and testing, the entire floor system on the second level concourse was torn out, right down to the base slab beneath. The insulation and waterproof membranes were removed and replaced and a proper drainage system was installed. Cracks in the base slab at the bottom of the floor structure were repaired and a new top floor made of paving stone was installed.

The entire floor of the second concourse was re-graded and sloped to feed new drains so water stops pooling and leaking into the structures below.

Water was also pooling in sections of seats on the second level, so new drainage and waterproof membranes were installed in those areas as well.

The project manager said crews were also required to replace expansion joints throughout the building because of leaking and have also 'mud-jacked' the concrete aprons outside of the stadium entrance to lift and level the approaches.

Next phase starts after football season

Work will begin in the late fall or early winter on the first level concourse. Many of the drainage and leakage issues here are similar to what has been repaired on the level above and will require the same routine - ripping out the floors and substructure down to the base slabs and adding proper drainage, membranes and insulation

There are also concerns about water pooling on the grandstands on the main level and leaking into the substructure below. Contractors have torn out a section of seats and are doing some testing to see what the damage is and what repairs need to be done.

Triple B Stadium's project manager would not comment on how such extensive drainage and leaking problems could have occurred in the original construction of the facility.

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While in opposition, the Progressive Conservatives pounded the NDP government on its role in the construction of the facility, vowing to have an audit on the project.

CBC News asked to speak to a minister on what position the PCs have now that they are in government.

The request for an interview was declined, but a spokesperson for Justice Minister Heather Stefanson provided the response below, saying they still want an audit, but it is up to Manitoba's Auditor General.

"There are multiple allegations the previous government rushed the stadium's construction to serve their own political interests. These allegations are part of an ongoing lawsuit. Our new government is committed to open, clean government. We will work with [the] Auditor General to make sure Manitoba taxpayers get a complete picture of how their money was spent and explanation for the increased costs." 

Manitoba's Auditor General has so far not replied to a request by CBC News for further information about a possible audit.

Liberal MLA and infrastructure critic Cindy Lamoureux says her party supports an audit.

"I believe that taxpayers deserve to know where their taxes are going. A lot of people are feeling uncomfortable and an audit is an ideal way to deal with that," Lamoureux told CBC News.

According to Triple B chair Konowalchuk, the lawsuit against the architect and general contractor is still in the document collection and pre-discovery stage.