If you’re in the shadow of it, you can’t really tell. But the view from above Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre shows the arena’s roof needs a scrub.
Thomas Saikaley lives in the neighbourhood and has seen the view from above.
“I’ve been up in my friends’ apartments,” he says. “It could use a bit of a cleaning for sure.”
Dirt has settled on the roof of the 2005-built structure and is visible from kilometres away.
Alan Lowe was Victoria’s mayor when it was built and recalls the conversation surrounding the white material chosen for the roof.
“The white colour serves two purposes,” he recalls. “One, you can’t really tell the birds have been dropping on it. But two, when it gets dirty, you can see the dirt.”
The building is home to the WHL’s Victoria Royals and is owned and operated by GSL Group. GSL did not return a request for an interview, but a City of Victoria spokesperson says the city has a long-term agreement with GSL Group in which they (GSL) are responsible for all maintenance of the building.
Peter Thomas also lives in the area and has noticed the mess up top. “I’ve been saying for a long time they should pressure wash it.”
A look around the sporting world shows some clever solutions for similar problems.
In 2016, “daredevil cleaners” were hired to clean the once-white roof of London’s 02 Arena after nine years of built-up grime. In Minneapolis, the home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings boasts the largest glass roof in the world, and solves the problem of bird droppings with a self-cleaning product.
Jordan Cunningham
