HUMBOLDT — The City of Humboldt will be temporarily closing the Aquatics Centre and restricting hours to the Uniplex Fitness Centre amid the number of COVID-19 cases in the province and the provincial government’s restrictions.
The Aquatics Centre will be temporarily closed starting effective Dec. 24, 5:00 p.m.
Effective Jan. 1, the Uniplex Fitness Centre hours will be reduced to 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the Uniplex administration hours will be reduced to 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
All measures outlined above are expected to remain in effect until Jan. 31, after they have time to discuss their latest update from the province on Jan. 15.
“Since we reopened in July we did so at an increased cost to the tax-payer in order to offer the service with the restrictions in place at that time,” said Michael Ulriksen, Humboldt’s director of community and leisure services.
“We’re at a point now where the province hasn’t said we have to shut down, but laid it in municipalities’ hands to battle with that decision to waive finances versus getting users in here.”
Ulriksen said they had to weigh if it was in the best interest keeping the doors open with the growing case counts, dropping user numbers, cost and restrictions on programs.
“At this point it was kind of a forgone conclusion that we had to go in this direction.”
From a financial perspective, Ulriksen said the closure of the facility will have a positive impact on the city.
“It’s hard to figure out the exact numbers because of the different variables, but being shut down for this month will definitely keep us on par where we typically are on budget. So we’ll enter 2021 in a better position than we would have otherwise expected to.”
Ulriksen said if they chose to keep the Aquatics Centre in operation, they would be looking at operating expenses 40 to 50 per cent higher.
“It would have a significant negative impact on our taxpayers if we were to continue to operate within the circumstances that we are right now.”
The City of Humboldt is currently in communication with the province and other municipalities for reviewing how outdoor activities, such as the outdoor rinks and the Crokicurl ice surface, can be enjoyed by the public in a safe and compliant fashion.
“We’re all trying to wrap our heads around exactly what is expected of us within the current order— whether the province is actually wanting us to shut down these outdoor facilities or heavily supervise them or just place signage and things of that nature,” Ulriksen said.
