It'll still be a while before facilities such as the Servus Arena are ready to re-open to the public (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

won't be open friday

Red Deer recreation facilities to reopen in phases

Jun 10, 2020 | 5:44 PM

The City of Red Deer plans to reopen recreation facilities and amenities as soon as is operationally possible.

“These openings will be a phased series of re-openings in the coming days and weeks,” Mayor Tara Veer said during a Facebook update on Wednesday.

Facilities such as arenas and swimming pools were originally planned for Stage 3 of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy before the province announced Tuesday that they’ll be part of Stage 2, which will commence this Friday.

City Manager Allan Seabrooke says re-opening plans are being updated in light of this announcement, but Red Deer facilities will not be ready to open on Friday.

“There’s significant work to be done to ensure our facilities can open and we can resume programs and services, but also ensure health and safety of both our citizens and our staff,” he said. “The opening of amenities is a complex task. These building have now been closed for just over eleven weeks, and we will need preparation in order to open.”

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Seabrooke says there will be consideration given to new limits on capacity and on what activities are permitted. Staff will need to be recalled and trained on these new policies and procedures.

Buildings will also need to be assessed, cleaned, and inspected before re-opening. Seabrooke suggested arenas and pools could take two to three weeks to get ready, while other facilities like gymnasiums could be ready sooner.

He also cautioned that, “Some amenity re-openings may not even be feasible given current provincial restrictions.”

“We know that citizens are eager to return to our facilities, and we are also excited to welcome you back,” Seabrooke said. “We just need time to ensure what amenities we can actually open, and when we do open that the amenities are safe and adhere to all the new regulations.”