In Canada, winter rhymes with hockey and the country is full of indoor and outdoor arenas that need special care for six months of the year. Ice maintenance staff are therefore a very sought-after position, with multiple tasks that require specific skills..
HIGHLY CHALLENGING WORK
One of the most important daily operations performed by ice maintenance staff is surfacing, on which the quality of the ice depends. There is therefore high pressure on the operator who has to not only consider for the aesthetic aspect of the ice but also its mechanical side, which will be closely scrutinized by the skaters and hockey players. This is followed by various tasks such as maintenance and servicing of the Zamboni and all the other equipment for daily use, resolving problems related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as maintenance of various areas of the arena (locker rooms, bathrooms, ticketing, skate rental areas and the staff room). Ice maintenance staff can also help with renting skates and occasionally with customer service.
A MULTIFACETED ROLE
The candidate sought should have skills in different areas:
- Appropriate behaviour: the person should act with integrity and honesty, be positive and responsible, have a strong work ethic, respect the arena’s policies and rules.
- Sense of punctuality: ice maintenance staff should meet expectations on time and be sensitive to the requirements to be quick with other services;
- Emphasis on service: the future employee should be customer oriented and maintain good relationships with visitors to the arena and with colleagues;
- Adaptability and flexibility: maintenance staff should demonstrate flexibility and accept irregular schedules (evening, weekends), be able to respond to emergency calls if needed, deal with a fire alarm, power outage, water leak, or major spill, to mention only these problems;
- Leadership in health: the ideal candidate should know the arena’s emergency plan, know where the first aid kit is kept and know how to report incidents. In addition, he or she must ensure that the arena entrances are secure and clear of snow and debris and prevent risks;
- Technical expertise: the future employee should have the technical skills to perform minor repairs on the snow plow and various ice maintenance equipment such as Zamboni maintenance, changing the safety blade, lubricating the machines, changing tires, changing oil, etc.
INTERVIEW WITH RANDY WELDON, ICE MAINTENANCE MANAGER OF THE VARSITY ARENA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THIS JOB?
To have the best chance it is important to have a college diploma or degree, have experience in recreational arenas and keep constantly up to date with new techniques.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN TASKS THAT YOU PERFORM?
As ice maintenance manager, I have a variety of tasks relating to:
the ice, with supervision of operation of the ice;
technical maintenance while keeping constantly up to date with information from the Association of Ontario Arenas;
cleaning while training and informing full-time and part-time workers about their responsibilities and the cleaning products and techniques.
WHY DO YOU LIKE THIS JOB SO MUCH?
I have been doing this for 31 years and no two days are the same. In fact, this job offers a wide variety of tasks and challenges. I work in the hockey arena in winter and in summer I am busy with the stadium grounds.