The Town of Taber has received the results of asbestos testing at the Taber Community Centre. These results confirm which areas of the building are safe to reopen and which areas require more work before they can be used again.

Testing identified three types of areas in the building:

• Green Zones – safe for public use
• Yellow Zones – require minor asbestos abatement before reopening
• Red Zones – remain closed and require significant cleanup and repairs

Based on these results, the Town is moving forward with reopening portions of the Community Centre that are considered Green Zones.

The following spaces are located primarily on the east side of the building and are considered safe for public use:

• Auditorium
• Leased spaces on the east side, including:
• Taber & District Chamber of Commerce
• Tank 77 Museum
• Bodymasters Gym
• Archery Range
• Some meeting rooms

Before reopening, Town crews will complete final cleaning and confirm that all utilities are fully operational. While these areas are dusty due to being closed for an extended period, they have been confirmed as safe for public use.

The following areas are located within Yellow and Red Zones and will remain closed for a longer period:

• All arena areas including ice surfaces, change rooms, and rink lobbies and leased spaces (please see note about Large Ice below)
• Curling Club
• Meeting rooms not on the east portion of the building
• Areas requiring asbestos abatement
• Areas requiring significant repairs due to damage

These spaces were the most heavily affected and will require extensive work before reopening.

The Town has determined that, following minor construction to repair walls and isolate the space from other damaged areas, the Large Ice Surface may be able to reopen as early as August 1^st.

• This date is not guaranteed
• Further work and approvals are required before reopening can be confirmed

The Town’s goal is to safely reopen as much of the Community Centre as possible as work progresses. We know our community has missed these spaces.

• Council has not yet made decisions about the long-term future of the damaged portions of the Community Centre
• The Town is still working through the insurance process, which is expected to take a while, with no estimated time of completion available yet
• Once insurance details and costs are better understood, Council will be able to make informed decisions and discuss next steps with the community

The Town thanks its leaseholders for their patience, staff for their continued hard work, and residents for their support during this challenging time. The Community Centre is an important space for Taber, and the Town understands how much the community looks forward to returning.

Updates will continue to be shared as more information becomes available.