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Estimated cost of rebuilding Alberta town's only ice rinks in the millions

  • The Canadian Press

  • Canadian Press

  • March 16, 2026

Damage is shown following an explosion at an ice rink in the town of Taber, Alta., in this December 2025 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout -- Town of Taber (Mandatory Credit)

TABER -- A hockey-loving town in southern Alberta that lost its only two ice rinks in a Zamboni explosion says it may cost about $11 million to rebuild the facility.

Derrin Thibault, Taber's chief administrative officer, says council recently agreed to spend about $6.2 million to rebuild its large ice rink after the December blast shattered the walls around it.

But the town still needs about $5 million more to fix the second ice rink and remaining parts of the community centre.

Thibault says the town has also requested $8 million from the federal government for upgrades.

The Town of Taber has said it was a leaky Zamboni that set off the blast.

The leak was ignited by a nearby electric heater, creating a fireball that shattered glass around the ice rinks, damaged the roof, toppled concrete walls and bricks, and hit gas lines.

This report by was first published March 16, 2026.