Friday, March 24, 2006
'Old barn' will go out with a bang
I didn't spend a lot of time in the arena. Tina Turner, Dire Straits, Harlem Globetrotters, A circus or two, Chinese acrobats, many "Ex"'s (ok, maybe it was a lot of time) Heck, i even saw a few hockey games. It should be interesting to see the final event and check out the crowd. Unfortunately i will be out of town, oh, and ASLEEP when it comes down. If you go, i would like to see pictures.
I think "the phone booth" has been pretty successful, and will continue to be a good thing for the downtown. I hope the nay-sayers have been able to get back to supporting "one great city".
Dynamite will level what's left of arena
Fri Mar 24 2006
By David Kuxhaus
Bob Molter coordinates preparations to blast what's left of the Winnipeg Arena. About $5,000 worth of dynamite will bring down the remaining shell of the Arena on Sunday. See story in local section.
Arena's pillars are wrapped with old tires to prevent flying debris.
IN a little more than a blink, the skeletal remains of the old barn, as the Winnipeg Arena was affectionately known, will be reduced to rubble Sunday morning.
Bob Molter's in charge of the job. A certified blaster with Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking Ltd., Molter has brought down buildings like the old Canada Packers plant in St. Boniface.
But this one, he admits, is a little different.
"There's obviously a lot more interest with the public," said Molter.
Built in 1955 the 10,100-seat arena, which was expanded to 15,500 seats in 1979, was where Bobby Hull and the Winnipeg Jets wowed the hockey world with pinpoint passing and sharpshooting. And it's where music giants like Led Zeppelin and Shania Twain brought fans to their feet.
Last rites
Rob Loudfoot, technical services administrator with the City of Winnipeg, said he isn't sure how large a crowd will turn up for the last rites but added that they've set up three separate viewing areas in nearby parking lots, outside the 300 metre buffer zone around the site.
About 200 kilograms of dynamite strategically placed at the base of about 20 support columns for the roof and bleachers will be used to raze what's left of the shell.
Crews were on the site yesterday doing the final prep work.
That included wrapping blasting mats made up of old tires around support columns to prevent flying chunks of concrete.
The dynamite will be inserted into holes in the columns and then packed with a clay-like substance.
Molter said there's little danger when handling the explosives.
"Years ago it was a little bit more risky but dynamite itself now is pretty inert," said Molter. "It needs a big shock for it to go off."
Perhaps the only hazard is from nitroglycerin which can rub off from the explosives.
"If it gets on your hands and goes into your skin you can get pretty sick," said Molter, adding that that is easily remedied with gloves.
Molter and three others will plant the dynamite Sunday around 5 a.m.
There will be warning sirens at five minute and one minute intervals prior to the detonation. At the one-minute mark a 10-second siren will sound.
After that, it's just a matter of pressing a button at 7:15 a.m.
That will ignite an electronic cap in a stick of dynamite triggering the other explosives, explains Molter.
'It's mathematics'
"We're kind of making a wave throughout the building," said Molter. "It's mathematics. You set the charges at different delays in order to make the building kind of fold down."
And of course, there will be the accompanying boom which Molter describes as a very loud thunder roll.
It took about two weeks to draft the plan but it should only take about three seconds to flatten the 21-metre structure
"It's quite nerve-wracking until it's done," said Molter.
After that comes the more tedious task of removing the debris. It's expected the clean-up will be complete by the end of April. The entire job is costing the city about $925,000. Included in that amount, is $400,000 spent earlier to remove hazardous materials like asbestos.
Loudfoot said it's not clear what will replace the arena although it's believed it will be used by private interests to develop more retail space.
david.kuxhaus@freepress.mb.ca
photos MIKE APORIUS
I think "the phone booth" has been pretty successful, and will continue to be a good thing for the downtown. I hope the nay-sayers have been able to get back to supporting "one great city".
Dynamite will level what's left of arena
Fri Mar 24 2006
By David Kuxhaus
Bob Molter coordinates preparations to blast what's left of the Winnipeg Arena. About $5,000 worth of dynamite will bring down the remaining shell of the Arena on Sunday. See story in local section.
Arena's pillars are wrapped with old tires to prevent flying debris.
IN a little more than a blink, the skeletal remains of the old barn, as the Winnipeg Arena was affectionately known, will be reduced to rubble Sunday morning.
Bob Molter's in charge of the job. A certified blaster with Rakowski Cartage & Wrecking Ltd., Molter has brought down buildings like the old Canada Packers plant in St. Boniface.
But this one, he admits, is a little different.
"There's obviously a lot more interest with the public," said Molter.
Built in 1955 the 10,100-seat arena, which was expanded to 15,500 seats in 1979, was where Bobby Hull and the Winnipeg Jets wowed the hockey world with pinpoint passing and sharpshooting. And it's where music giants like Led Zeppelin and Shania Twain brought fans to their feet.
Last rites
Rob Loudfoot, technical services administrator with the City of Winnipeg, said he isn't sure how large a crowd will turn up for the last rites but added that they've set up three separate viewing areas in nearby parking lots, outside the 300 metre buffer zone around the site.
About 200 kilograms of dynamite strategically placed at the base of about 20 support columns for the roof and bleachers will be used to raze what's left of the shell.
Crews were on the site yesterday doing the final prep work.
That included wrapping blasting mats made up of old tires around support columns to prevent flying chunks of concrete.
The dynamite will be inserted into holes in the columns and then packed with a clay-like substance.
Molter said there's little danger when handling the explosives.
"Years ago it was a little bit more risky but dynamite itself now is pretty inert," said Molter. "It needs a big shock for it to go off."
Perhaps the only hazard is from nitroglycerin which can rub off from the explosives.
"If it gets on your hands and goes into your skin you can get pretty sick," said Molter, adding that that is easily remedied with gloves.
Molter and three others will plant the dynamite Sunday around 5 a.m.
There will be warning sirens at five minute and one minute intervals prior to the detonation. At the one-minute mark a 10-second siren will sound.
After that, it's just a matter of pressing a button at 7:15 a.m.
That will ignite an electronic cap in a stick of dynamite triggering the other explosives, explains Molter.
'It's mathematics'
"We're kind of making a wave throughout the building," said Molter. "It's mathematics. You set the charges at different delays in order to make the building kind of fold down."
And of course, there will be the accompanying boom which Molter describes as a very loud thunder roll.
It took about two weeks to draft the plan but it should only take about three seconds to flatten the 21-metre structure
"It's quite nerve-wracking until it's done," said Molter.
After that comes the more tedious task of removing the debris. It's expected the clean-up will be complete by the end of April. The entire job is costing the city about $925,000. Included in that amount, is $400,000 spent earlier to remove hazardous materials like asbestos.
Loudfoot said it's not clear what will replace the arena although it's believed it will be used by private interests to develop more retail space.
david.kuxhaus@freepress.mb.ca
photos MIKE APORIUS
