While the provincial government said outdoor swimming pools can be open to be public, some pools in the region are uncertain if they reopen this year at all.
The fourth phase of the Reopen Saskatchewan plan said Swimming pools across the province will be allowed to open as of June 22.
Elvira Pompu, general manager of Pasquia Regional Park near Carrot River, said they are hopeful they will be able to open their outdoor pool by June 29 but there are still some determining factors at play.
Temporary renovations are being done to the shower rooms to allow for physical distancing and smaller class sizes are being planned in order to keep up with public health guidelines. Pompu said they have a great pool manager at the park who is keeping up with regulations and applying them to the park and what needs to be done.
“He's been in contact with or has been following the Red Cross guidelines, and he's been very on top of it.”
Because the pool’s lifeguards are university and high school students, the pool will close around Aug. 25 or 26 to accommodate their return to class.
Chelsea Corrigan, Nipwain’s recreation director, said they will be bringing a motion to Nipawin town council on Monday to see what can be done for The Pool @ Central Park.
Corrigan said they have already filled the pool for maintenance reasons so there isn’t too much more that has to be done if council decides to open the pool for the summer.
“We do need to ensure that we are COVID safety ready. We are preparing the signage and safety measures that way. We do have to train all of our lifeguards to ensure that they're prepared for safety measures that will need to be taken for COVID.”
If council does approve the opening of the pool, Corrigan said they will be opening at the beginning of July. The pool area can comfortably fit 100 people with 60 people in the pool so they will have to figure out how to keep the numbers under control under COVID-19 guidelines.
“There will be different changes and different guidelines that patrons will need to follow this year,” Corrigan said.
Due to discussions at the June 9 council meeting, the Town of Hudson Bay has already made the decision to close the Hudson Bay Aquatic Centre for the summer and the government’s June 11 decision will not change that.
Teresa Parkman, Hudson Bay administrator, said preparation for the summer season would have been well underway if not for COVID-19 and there is not enough time left to get everything ready for their usual opening date.
“The amount of time needed to have the pool ready, including maintenance, mechanics, painting, prepping, staffing, inspections and permits, it would be well into mid/late July, if weather co-operated, before doors could open.”
The pool closes down in the third week of August, Parkman said, so “salvaging enough of the season” is just not possible.
The Larwood-Shaw Memorial Pool in Porcupine Plain will not be opening up for the summer due to reasons unrelated to COVID-19.
