Story:
Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors were all ears as they heard a proposal last week to make the sound at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre clear and comfortable.
Excessive reverberation has been an issue at the Centre's ice arena since its opening in 2009. A reverberation is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space, causing a large number of echoes to build up then slowly decay as the walls and air absorb the sound.
The sound quality has been so bad that many hockey players have been wearing earplugs while on the ice. Residents living in the area have also filed both verbal and written complaints to the Centre's management.
Patrick Tosci, director of Sunshine Coast-based Soundwerks Audio Video Systems, was given the opportunity to present at the SCRD's community services committee Feb. 24 with a solution.
Tosci proposed the use of acoustical cotton panels. The panels would be mounted around the tresses above the arena, covering the entire roof. No cables would be needed, saving on labour time and cost. Tosci said his goal is to absorb the sound inside the arena as much as possible.
"So that it's more comfortable for people inside the room -more sound that is absorbed inside means less of it will leak out into the neighbourhood," he told directors.
The project will cost just under $120,000. Going into round three of budget talks next week, directors will be discussing the matter further before making a decision.
