Career Opportunity: Head Ice Technician

The Peace Arch Curling Club, White Rock, B.C.

The Peace Arch Curling Club is located in White Rock, BC, known as the City By the Sea. PACC is operating under current public health orders and viaSport guidelines to offer a safe environment for curling and socializing. Our Club contains 4 sheets of ice, a Lower Lounge featuring with a 10-table, day-time café, and a licenced Upper Lounge with billiards table, darts board, and shuffleboard games. We offer 13 curling leagues for some 420 members of varying levels of competitiveness; ice rentals for private groups; rentals of dry floor space in the off-season; an indoor pickleball program in the summer; and lounge rentals for parties, meetings, and other functions.

With a September 2022 start, we are looking for a Head Ice Technician to provide our curlers with the best opportunity to play the game they love. Our curling season normally runs from late September to the end of March, so including ice installation and ice removal, the full-time seasonal contract position would be from day after Labour Day in September to approximately April 15 each year.

Currently we are anticipating 23 regular draws per week and we will host 5 or 6 bonspiels this season – a busy little Club that is growing slowly toward capacity.

The scope and key responsibilities of the job include:

Ice Making and Maintenance:
• Order Jet Ice Curling rental tanks for beginning of season and return of these tanks at the end of the rental agreement
• Prepare floor for installation
• Arrange for start-up of ice plant with the refrigeration contractor (currently Kim Turnbull of RKT Mechanical Inc.)
• Prepare equipment for installation
• Install ice as per CCA standards, including painting, running lines, in-ice logos, hack and board installation and all other duties for initial installation
• Facilitate day-to-day curling ice operations (scraping, cleaning, pebbling, rock care), ensuring a high-quality playing surface for all league play, rentals, bonspiels and other functions as required as well as recognizing the need for extra measures to provide consistent curl, consistent keenness, cleanliness and safety of the ice surface.
• Train, supervise and schedule assistant ice technicians and volunteers.
• In consultation with the PACC Manager, set up schedule for scraping, burning and flooding to maintain ice in top curling condition (including a burn during the Christmas/New Year break and mini-maintenances on pre-determined weekends at the mid-point of the first half of the season and the mid-point of the second half of the season)
• Maintain ice rink cleanliness (e.g., clean walkways and windows, empty garbage, and ensure a safe and orderly ice storage room, etc.)
• Remove ice at end of season
• Arrange shut-down of ice plant with the refrigeration contractor (currently Kim Turnbull of RKT Mechanical Inc.)
• Complete year-end clean-up, such that dry floor area is ready for early Spring rentals
• Preparation for and storage of ice making equipment and curling rocks

Equipment Maintenance:
• In consultation with the PACC Manager, arrange for the following equipment to be maintained in good condition at all times: dehumidifier, hot water tank used for pebbling water, ice burner, scraper, and Jet Ice system
• Daily upkeep of preventative logs and manuals for the ice plant including visual plant room inspection with temperature and pressure readings. Weekly checks on compressor oil as needed
• Advise and make recommendations to the PACC Manager with respect to maintenance for the refrigeration plant condenser, chiller, compressor, brine system, etc.
• Ensure that the operating and safety standards are in place to meet required inspections

Hours of Work:
It is expected that the Head Ice Technician will be available or will have made provision for back-up during hours of operation as weekends, weekdays and evenings are required. The hours of work vary dependent on ice maintenance requirements and ice usage. The Head Ice Technician will be required to schedule and adjust hours with the PACC Manager to meet the needs of the PACC both on a regular weekly basis and for special events such as bonspiels, pop-up curling and hosting of regional, provincial, or national on-ice events.

Preference will be given to those who have their Level 2 Ice Technician certificate, or equivalent experience – at least 3 years – and a commitment to obtain Level 2 certification as paid by PACC.

Remuneration will depend on qualifications. Please submit your resume to [email protected] or mail to
Peace Arch Curling Club
Unit 2, 1475 Anderson Street
White Rock, BC V4B 0A8