Leaking water isn’t the only thing that’s fallen onto the BC Place field since its $563 million renovation was completed three years ago.
The stadium’s retractable roof couldn’t be opened or closed while people were underneath for months in 2012 due to fears of falling metal parts, the NDP revealed Tuesday.
“This is a retractable roof that it turns out couldn’t be retracted without pieces of it falling on the playing field and the stands,” MLA David Eby said in the B.C. Legislature.
The NDP said the B.C. Pavilion Corporation, the Crown company that owns BC Place, fought to conceal a contractors report on the debris issue for years, but was eventually forced to turn it over by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commission.
Eby said the lack of transparency suggests a government that was “desperate to conceal” embarrassing information on the stadium, whose widely-reported leaking problem has been mocked repeatedly over the years.
Deputy Premier Rich Coleman insisted the debris issue was minor, and quickly taken care of after it was discovered.
“The only thing that’s ever fallen from this roof was a very small washer, and the issue was addressed and [parts upgraded] in August of 2012,” Coleman said during question period.
The washer was 34 millimetres wide, and PavCo said the public was never at risk.
The NDP also criticized the government for failing to put an end to the leaks, which were spotted as recently as last month during a BC Lions game.
Eby alleged that PavCo bought beer for fans who were leaked on rather than publicly address the roof issues and fix them.
Crews were out on the roof Tuesday afternoon replacing fabric panels ruined by lubricant stains. PavCo said that work caused the leaks, and that the problem will stop once it’s finished.
“The fact is that it’s under warranty and the work is getting done,” Coleman said. “There is no additional cost to taxpayers for these repairs.”
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson
