WESTLOCK – Westlock’s recreation facilities, like the Rotary Spirit Centre and pool, are rolling back services and reducing hours, while the library locked its doors to walk-in traffic following Tuesday’s announcement by the province that previous public health measures will be reinstituted following a rise in COVID-19 cases and its variants.
Premier Jason Kenney announced the return to Step 1 April 6, which means retailers and malls are now restricted to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy, indoor fitness activities are curtailed to one-on-one training and adult performances, such as dancing and singing, are banned.
In-dining services also ended April 9, although outdoor patios are allowed — indoor gatherings are still banned, outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people and churches continue to be restricted to 15 per cent occupancy.
For Westlock’s rec facilities, which reopened March 8 and 15 after being shuttered since mid-December, the announcement means that activities at the Westlock Aquatic Centre, like aquafit, have to be cancelled for the time being — updates to programming and hours can always be found at the town’s website and social media channels.
The pool’s hours will be Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The pool and virtual rec room are still available for household bookings and private lessons. Youth fitness programs remain in place with no change.
The RSC’s operating hours are now 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and the facility will be closed on weekends and statutory holidays. The RSC’s walking track is also closed until further notice while the gym is available for rental by households with a trainer, or one-on-one with a trainer. User groups like lacrosse are also able to use the facility — following current protocols — and kids and coaches are expected to be in the fieldhouse and arena this week for practice.
Community services director Gerry Murphy said as an organization they’ve taken a measured approach to the repeated closings and openings and have tried to offer as much to residents under the guidelines given to them.
“When you look at the news and see where the variants are going, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t been touched by it and we know it’s around us. So, we need to be prudent and follow the direction of public health, Alberta Health Services and the province,” said Murphy.
“I think we’ve been in less of a yo-yo environment than some of our neighbouring municipalities and we’re taking the same approach now. The restrictions are tighter and there are less that we can offer to the community, but we’re staying open as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, even if the tunnel might have gotten a little bit longer.
“I agree with the premier that it’s going to be a great summer … I’m optimistic. We’re all going to get our shot in the arm by the end of June so we should have a pretty normal summer.”
When the weight rooms reopened at both facilities, patrons could only use them with a trainer — a local restriction the town enacted due to their inability to monitor patrons as guidelines in Step 2 prohibited high-intensity/interval workouts. So, heading back to Step 1 will mean status quo.
“The province really clawed back on the whole access to gyms, there’s no group activities, no self-monitoring, so it’s only one-on-one with a trainer or one-on-one household. I’ve reached out to some of my peers to how it was going at their gyms and it was a mixed bag. Some of them didn’t think it was going too badly and others were hoping for the province to open it up fully or they were considering shutting it down,” said Murphy.
Library back to curb-side delivery
The Westlock Municipal Library, which had been able to reopen March 8, was forced to shutter Wednesday.
Library director Lisa Old confirmed that morning that the facility is again only offering curbside pick-up and she directed patrons to visit their website for up-to-date operating hours and info.
The library had staff available Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, then from 1 to 4 p.m.
