City to reopen four rec centres Friday

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — It’s time to get your swim trunks out of the drawer, as the City of Calgary will be opening up a handful of rec centres on Friday morning.

The Bob Bahan, Canyon Meadows, Glenmore, and Killarney Aquatic and Fitness Centres are set to open again, as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

That said, there will be some changes to cope with the pandemic.

“It is going to be very new for a lot of people,” said Michelle Tait, Superintendent of Calgary Recreation during a media tour of the Killarney Aquatic and Recreation Centre in SW Calgary.

As soon as you get through the doors you will notice changes, such as stickers on the floor advising people about physical distancing, staff protected behind plexiglass barriers, and things like water fountains unavailable for use.

You will also be advised to wear a mask throughout the facilities, except when you are swimming in the pool.

There will also be a lot more room to take a swim.

“Our pool, during lane swim, now will only have 16 people. That allows people to freely move around the pool while managing social distancing while still in the water,” said Tait.

The city did some work to figure out how they can maximize the number of people in the water, and lifeguards will be making sure everyone is on the same page.

Also, saunas and hot tubs are not available now and they will not be in operation until phase three of the province’s relaunch strategy.

Workout rooms also see some differences, with some machines closed off to allow for greater distance and cleaning supplies readily available to you can make sure equipment is sanitized after use.

“Each of our weight rooms has a different capacity, based on us having the right number of equipment and each of those pieces of equipment having the distance apart so people can exercise safely,” she added.

You can’t rush into the facilities en masse, as there are occupancy limits throughout the facilities and you have to book online to find a time to use the pool or weight rooms.

The facilities will only be available for one-hour increments per person, with time gaps in between so staff can do some extra cleaning on high touch areas and changing rooms throughout the day. They are also open at reduced hours for the time being.

“Our goal is to really make it as accessible for as many people as possible, so by limiting the time that gives us more opportunity to get people in the door,” added Tait.

Staff have also been trained on health protocols, and in the unfortunate event of somebody contracting or spreading COVID-19 in any of the facilities, they will follow direction from Alberta Health Services on what to do next.
Any other incidents, such as people not following the health guidelines, will be handled on a case by case basis and there is an acknowledegment that it will take a bit of time for everyone to get used to the new situation.

“I hope that by us opening, everyone takes the time to read what the new guidelines are and how to safely move through the facility and hope that after their first experience, they’ll know what to expect and continue to come back.”

Last month, the city opened four ice rinks including George Blunden, Optimist, Stew Hendry and Henry Viney along with city-owned golf courses.

Some splash parks and wading pools have also opened with others expected to follow later in the month.

At the moment, no other leisure centres are open yet as the city evaluated the capital plan to determine which facilities were in a good position to take people back in.

Tait is not sure how much demand they will see first off, but there is some optimistic anticipation.

“We know there’s a lot of people who are excited to get back in the water, excited to be back in our facilities. I know our staff are excited to see patrons again,” said Tait.

More details, including further details on the guidelines can also be found on the city’s website.