Mechanical failure determined as source of Taber arena explosion

Photo by Trevor Busch. Media Conference: Town of Taber CAO Derrin Thibault speaks to media during a press conference in Taber on Jan. 7.

• Origin traced to ice resurfacer fuel system

By Trevor Busch
Taber Times
editor@tabertimes.com

The explosion which ripped through the Taber Community Centre on Dec. 17, 2025, causing extensive damage to two arenas and the curling rink is not being attributed to human error.

During a press conference in Taber on Jan. 7, town officials released the confirmed findings of the investigation which lays the blame for the explosion on the failure of a component within the fuel system of the ice resurfacer. According to the town, there was no procedural failure and staff had followed established operating procedures.

“The third party investigation into the cause of the incident is now complete. The findings confirmed that the explosion was not the result of human error or procedural failure. The cause was failure of the component within the fuel system of the ice resurfacer,” said Chief Steve Munshaw with the Taber Fire Department. “That failure resulted in a propane leak, which created a gas cloud within the room and across the small ice surfaces. An electrical heater in the small ice surface room was identified as the source of ignition. When the gas cloud reached the ignition source, it caused an explosion. Incidents like this are an important reminder that even when established procedures are followed and maintained in place, equipment can still fail. That is why strong inspection, maintenance and emergency preparedness programs are essential. Our team trains for situations like this, and that preparedness helps ensure the incident was managed safely. We are fortunate that no one was injured, and we take that as a reinforcement of the importance of ongoing readiness, not as a reason to lower our standards.”

At approximately 4 p.m. on Dec. 17, an explosion occurred at the Taber Community Centre while staff and members of the public were inside the building. Emergency procedures were activated immediately, and the building was evacuated as a precaution. All staff and patrons were accounted for, and no injuries were reported. Investigators confirmed the explosion occurred in the area of the Small Ice Arena Zamboni room, causing substantial damage within the arena and curling rink areas. Following the explosion, a secondary, localized fire occurred. Emergency crews extinguished the fire quickly, and it remained contained to the equipment involved. 

Early inspections showed widespread physical damage in impacted areas of the Community Centre, including interior walls shifted from their original positions, extensive glass breakage, large doors forced out, cracked concrete block walls and debris, and damage to gas lines and water intrusion.

While no one was injured, the Town “recognizes that this was a serious incident that could have had very serious consequences. Emergency procedures were followed, and staff response helped ensure the situation was managed safely.”

In the weeks following the incident there has been public speculation about the cause, including “assumptions that staff were at fault.”

“This incident was not caused by staff error, but mechanical,” said CAO Derrin Thibault. “That clarity matters, because in the weeks following the incident, there was a great deal of public speculation, and some of that speculation unfairly placed blame on staff at the same time staff were dealing with a stressful situation. Town staff were present during a serious incident that could have been very dangerous.”

The town’s media release stressed that staff had “responded professionally during a stressful and potentially dangerous situation, helping to ensure that no one was injured.” 

“The Community Center is a gathering place for sports, recreation, local programs and businesses, and it plays an important role in the daily use of our community,” said Mayor Andrew Prokop. “We know this disruption has been difficult for many residents, use groups and organizations alike. Council is deeply grateful for the patience, kindness and understanding shown by our community throughout this process. We also want to thank the many communities across southern Alberta and throughout the rest of Alberta who have stepped up to support Taber with offers of ice time, messaging, encouragement and practical help has made a real difference, that generosity has meant a great deal, not only to the municipality, but to the community as a whole.”

Following the incident, an independent occupational hygienist was engaged to assess whether hazardous materials may be present in the building. All areas of the Community Centre, including areas that do not appear to be visibly affected (such as the Auditorium and lease space), were tested. This was deemed necessary because hazardous materials can travel beyond the immediate area of damage through building systems such as ventilation and HVAC, or by the force of the explosion itself. 

Samples from all areas have been collected and are currently with the laboratory for analysis. Until those results are received, debris removal cannot begin, as the results will determine how materials must be legally and safely handled and disposed of. 

“The incident has also had a significant impact on our Community Center, programming, user groups, and lease businesses operating in the facility,” said Thibault. “We recognize the frustration, disruption and uncertainty this has caused for the organization’s families and individuals who rely on the space. There is a strong desire, both internally and in the community, to see parts of the Community Center reopen as soon as possible, so that some programming and services can resume. Town administration shares that goal but at the same time, reopening decisions must be based on verified information and safety requirements. Dependent testing is currently underway to determine if there is any spread of hazardous materials like asbestos in the building and how debris must be handled. Until those laboratory results are received, we do not know which portions, if any, of the Community Center can be safely reopened. We don’t have a definitive timeline on those results of the testing.”

Once laboratory results are received, the Town will determine how debris must be handled and removed in compliance with safety and legal requirements. Results will guide decisions about whether any portions of the facility may be eligible for reopening, which will also depend on the status of utilities and life-safety systems. Updates will be shared as verified information becomes available.

“Once test results are available, administration will be in a position to determine how debris must be removed in compliance with safety and legal requirements, address whether any portions of the facility may be eligible for phased reopening, and evaluate what programming lease operations or services could safely resume,” continued Thibault. “This work is also being done alongside insurance assessments and regulatory requirements, which are necessary parts of the recovery process. I want to emphasize that none of this is about delay for delay’s sake. Is about doing things correctly, safely and in a way that protects staff and users.”

Costs related to the incident and recovery are still being determined. The Town is working with its insurance provider, and assessments are ongoing. The Town expects this process to take weeks to months, which is typical for incidents of this nature involving testing, assessments, and insurance review. 

“Looking ahead, council knows there are many challenges and questions ahead about the future of the Community Center. At this time, we do not necessarily have any confirmed financial information,” said Prokop. “Insurance assessments and cost evaluation are ongoing, and the process is expected to take weeks, if not months, to complete. Council will be eager to review this information once it becomes available, and it will be very important on having these details in full context for an informed conversation about the future of this building.”

Many residents have been asking questions about the long-term future of the Community Centre, including whether this incident means the Town will build a new sportsplex or change existing parts of the current facility. At this time, no decisions have been made regarding a new facility or what the future of the current building will be. Council is in the early stages of discussion only, and any future decisions related to recreation facilities would involve careful consideration of community needs, costs, funding options, and public input. 

“I also want to note that the conversation about the Community Center did not start because of this incident. Prior to this event, council had already been discussing potential renovations of the facility,” said Prokop. “In the coming months, council will look carefully at the community needs, costs, funding options and long term sustainability. These are important decisions, and they will take time and thoughtful consideration to come to a conclusion. For now, Council’s focus remains on supporting recovery efforts, ensuring safety as a top priority, and making sure that the future decisions are made responsibly and in the best interest of our community as a whole.”

• In response to a question during the media availability, Munshaw provided further details on the determined source of the explosion.

“There was a thorough investigation that took place, and it was identified through that, that the fuel system was the impact failure, the common cause. It’s definitely not something that’s seen often, and it’s definitely not something that we’ve heard of from the manufacturer. I’m not able to identify any further than that, but we can see that it’s definitely not something that occurs very often, but we’re still continuing that look into further aspects and more investigation.”

Mayor Prokop elaborated on just how the lucky the community was that this incident did not result in any injuries or deaths.

“We were very extraordinarily lucky that nothing occurred as a result. There were people in the building. There were staff in the building. And ice usership is ongoing seven days a week, and a very, very popular facility to be made use of for all three ice locations. So we’re extremely lucky that nothing occurred injury wise, and the evacuation that took place was extraordinarily effective and efficient and very timely and done in a proper and very effective manner. So we can’t thank our lucky stars enough that that’s where it stands today, and like anything else, it could have been a whole lot worse. Damage is one thing, and that can be replaced. People are not (replaceable). So we’re very fortunate, very, very thankful, very, very blessed that that’s the end result.”

The current focus remains on completing required testing and assessments, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance, understanding recovery and refurbishment options and working through insurance and cost implications.

The Town will continue to share updates as verified information becomes available.