Ammonia leak forces evacuation of hundreds at NW Calgary YMCA

Hundreds of people needed to be evacuated from a northwest Calgary YMCA on Wednesday afternoon due to an ammonia leak.

The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) tells CityNews crews were called to the Rocky Ridge YMCA around 3 p.m. due to a gas leak in the refrigeration system of the arena.

Battalion Chief Scott Cowan says staff were alerted when the ammonia alarm in the arena’s mechanical room went off. Employees evacuated the building and called 911.

Crews arrived in hazmat suits and found the location of the leak before calling a technician to repair it.

Cowan says around 250 people were out of the building for more than an hour before they were allowed back in.

“We had transit buses on route to shelter people, but it’s not a snowy, freezing cold day thank goodness,” he said.

One of the evacuees was a diabetic and was left outside without their medication, according to Cowan. Fire crews were able to retrieve the medication from inside and bring it back to the individual.

No other injuries were reported.