When will things return to normal?
That is the question the North Battleford Department of Parks and Recreation is trying to come up with an answer for. The department has mapped out a potential timeline for when things might get back to normal for their activities in 2021.
That was presented in a report from their director Cheryl DeNeire at Planning Committee on Monday.
This timeline is what the city’s budget for the year is based on, she said. The dates were described by DeNeire as “best guesses,” and might shift depending on whether things are delayed further. “If things are even faster, that’s great,” said DeNeire.
The timeline presented is based on vaccinations being completed by the end of September 2021, and runs as follows:
Present: Recreation facilities run according to the current restrictions. That includes a maximum 100 users at the aquatic centre, 180 at the field house, and 30 for galleries.
There are also restrictions of eight people to a class, and City Manager Randy Patrick said they have shifted to more public swims.
June:The thinking is that there will be a letup of some restrictions by this point. At that time, the city expects audience levels to go up to 150 for arena events, that the limit of eight for class sizes for activities might be taken off by then (but two metre distancing is still required), and there may be an opportunity for games. It’s not expected mask wearing would stop but perhaps they might be allowed to be taken off for activities. Weddings of up to 100 people, and meetings and classes with the eight-person limit removed (but two metre distancing in place) might be allowed as well.
The intention is for the aquatic centre and Field House to be open Wednesday-Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at this point. DeNeire did note the June-August period is a quiet time at the aquatic centre and Field House due to activities happening outside.
September:By this point things should start to right itself, with the expectation that about 80 per cent of restrictions would be lifted by this point. While attendance would still be at a maximum 150 in the water and at arenas, there would be multiple activities possible in one area at a time with two-metre distancing in effect, and they are planning for the full return of league play for minor hockey and perhaps an increased audience participation level for the SJHL.
A lot of the programming at the pool and field house is classroom-based so having schools come back is integral to the reopening plan. If they cannot commit to September the hope is by November they will able to consider returning to lessons.
It is November 2021 when the report anticipates a return to pre-pandemic levels.
This scenario is based on what the best guess is, DeNeire emphasizes.
There were also numbers presented for 2020. Massive drops in usage were predicted and those came true.
The entire CUplex saw only 41 per cent bookings compared to the year before, and Don Ross Centre and Civic Centre bookings were down over half to 47 per cent of the 2019 levels, the latter due to a lack of hockey games. Don Ross Arena was at 68 per cent booking for the year 2020. As for galleries, they had only 20 per cent bookings compared to 2019.
As for the revenue and expenses, the CUplex came in at 20 percent recovery rate, the aquatic centre 25 percent, Nations West Field House 23 per cent and Don Ross Centre 85 percent. The recovery rate for the Civic Centre was 30 per cent and for Don Ross Arena it was 70 per cent. For galleries, it was 50 pe rcent.
