Photo courtesy of Ian Lewis The Allen Ayotte Warming Area, in the Gipp Ice Arena, sports brand new ceiling tile thanks to a donation from CertainTeed, of L’Anse.

LAURIUM – The new ice generating system at the Gipp Arena is complete and ready to be started up, said Village Manager Ian Lewis, but will not be used until November, due to warmer than average temperatures extending through the early part of October.

“Because of the weather, we’ve decided to start it up during the normal period, which is usually the week before Thanksgiving,” Village Manager Ian Lewis said.

At the regular September Council Meeting, Trustee Jeff Erickson said Youth Hockey would like to use the arena around October 1, but that would depend on weather, because the temperatures need to be low to sustain the ice once it is made.

Lewis said at the Colosseum, in Calumet Township, the building is designed to permit ice during warmer temperatures.

“But because it’s so humid in there with the temperatures,” he said, “even they struggled to make ice.”

when the skating season does begin, visitors to arena will notice a brand new ceiling in the Allen Ayotte Warming Area.

Lewis said CertainTeed, of L’Anse, donated approximately 500 ceiling tiles for the warming area.

“They graciously donated them,” said Lewis. “That was awesome. They donated them at no cost to us.”

Lewis said they offered the tiles to support youth sports and a facility that allows public skating.

In addition to the new ceiling tiles inside the building, outside, the new ice generator unit is seated on a new concrete slab that will help to protect it from groundwater from the parking lot.