Workers in office buildings surrounding the MTS Centre site in downtown Winnipeg have a phenomenal view of the progress on the construction of the roof for the sports and entertainment centre taking place right now. Four of the eight steel trusses that form the major supports for the roof now span the building from east to west. Each of the full 282-foot long roof trusses weighs more than 135 tons and is lifted into place by large mobile cranes situated on the event floor. One more will be put into place each week for the next month.

Even while the remaining trusses are bolted and welded together on the ground, the structural metal roof deck is being installed on the low roof in the south end of the building. In addition to the structural metal the roof is skinned with layers of vapour barrier and rigid insulation and topped with several sheets of membrane bitumen. The main roof, which covers the arena bowl, is more than 68,000 square feet while the lower roof sections in the north and south ends of the building add another 25,000 square feet of area.

The contract for the manufacture of the structural steel was awarded to Canam Manac with head offices in Quebec where the majority of the steel was manufactured. The errection of the roof trusses and the additional supprt structure is being handled by Empire Iron Works of Winnipeg. Oakwood Roofing is installing the roof deck.

The entire building envelope including the completed roof will be in place by the end of March 2004. Other work on the outer shell of the facility now brings the final shape of the exterior architecture into focus on all four sides of the building. The infill steel and glazing support steel is being bolted and welded into place to form the wave-like curving outline of the Portage Avenue façade. The structural steel for the lobbies on Graham Avenue at the Hargrave and Donald corners is now largely in place.

The $133.5 million sports and entertainment centre construction project is now more than 60% complete and is expected to open on schedule in mid November 2004.

For more information contact:
Jim Millican
Vice President Marketing and Communications
True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd
(204) 989 - 6813, cell 792 - 4145

[MTS Centre Construction Updates Archive]