The Town of Princeton is moving forward with key upgrades at its community arena, aiming to improve energy efficiency and meet modern code standards.
At the June 18 council meeting, officials awarded a $111,970 contract to Norlock Refrigeration to replace one of the main compressors at the Princeton and District Arena. Council also approved a total project budget of $128,667, which covers additional electrical work and contingency costs.
The arena first opened in 1974. One of the two compressors—both 6A models—is original and has been in use for over 50 years. The second has been rebuilt several times, but both are now considered past their functional lifespan.
As part of the 2025 budget discussions, council decided to replace the older compressor with a more powerful and energy-efficient 4WBHE model. This upgrade will improve the arena’s performance while reducing energy consumption.
The town initially planned to replace both the compressor and the condenser, setting aside $165,000 for the entire project. However, rising costs have made that goal unfeasible within the current budget.
“Staff are recommending that we replace the original compressor this year and defer the condenser project,” said Chief Administrative Officer Lyle Thomas. “We’ll gather new estimates for the condenser and bring them into the 2026 budget deliberations.”
Norlock Refrigeration has maintained the arena’s systems for over 30 years and is familiar with the complexities of the modified plant room.
“Our 1974 refrigeration plant has undergone many changes over the years,” Thomas explained. “It’s now a highly customized system, making it difficult and time-consuming for new contractors to learn.”
Thomas also noted that Norlock has historically submitted the lowest bids for refrigeration work and emphasized that time is critical. The off-season offers only a brief window to complete major upgrades, and only three of the 4WBHE compressors are currently available across Canada.
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