The popular ice rink at West Edmonton Mall will be closed until December so the owners can give it a $3-million revamp.
Changes to the Ice Palace, which closed on Monday, will include a new heating and cooling floor to improve the ice surface, free-standing rink boards and automated protective netting.
The refrigeration plant will be replaced with a more energy-efficient model, West Edmonton Mall administration said in a news release Thursday.
The renovated facility will be “state of the art,” the news release said.
The work will be undertaken by firms that have worked on ice pads at the Royal Glenora Club, the University of Alberta, and the University of British Columbia Winter Sports Centre used for the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
The rink is used by shoppers who want to take a whirl on the ice. It’s also used for minor and recreational hockey games and figure skating lessons.