New Westminster – On December 19, 2016 at approximately 9:30 pm, the roof of the Queen’s Park Arenex collapsed due to heavy snow accumulation.  City staff had evacuated the building earlier in the evening and no one was inside at the time of collapse.

“This is a sad day for our community, as the Arenex was a much loved and important recreation facility,” said Mayor Jonathan Coté. “Thankfully, our staff was able to respond to the incident quickly and no one was hurt.”

New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services and City staff are working to ensure the site is secure and safe.

“We know the programs offered at the Arenex are an important component of New Westminster Parks and Recreation,” said Parks and Recreation Director Dean Gibson. “We are in the very early stages of exploring alternate arrangements for Arenex programs and will be reaching out to facility users as soon as we have more information.”

Updates will be posted on the City’s website at www.newwestcity.ca as well as on social media.

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Contact:
Dean Gibson
Director of Parks and Recreation
604-527-4628 or