As coronavirus pandemic restrictions continue to ease in Ontario, the Municipality of Port Hope and Town of Cobourg are working on readying amenities to open in a reduced form over the summer.
The Jack Burger Sports Complex (JBSC) in Port Hope will tentatively open for limited public use in early July.
Phase one of the JBSC opening process will include the 25 metre and therapy pools for lane swims and swimming for children under parental supervision only.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Port Hope begins to reopen some municipal amenities
The number of swimmers in the pool at one time will be limited.
Swimming lessons and programs, such as aquafit are discontinued for now and the hot tub is closed.
Reservations for swimming will be required with appointments booked in advance.
Change rooms and restrooms will be open with strict guidelines in-place for physical distancing.
Enhanced cleaning measures and sanitation processes are being conducted at the facility.
“We will manage traffic flow and will be operating at a reduced capacity as well,” said Julia Snoek, community development program manager in the parks, recreation, and culture department of the municipality.
“Our facility operators have been working on-site since closure in March, doing updates including painting and seasonal maintenance. We are working through a training plan for our aquatics staff.”
In about a month, details for phase two of reopening will likely be released including the reintroduction of swimming lessons and programs.
The Town Park Recreation Centre will be open for summer day camps only with a target opening date of early to mid-July.
“Recognizing it’s an important program in our community –it’s well-used by members of our community and our neighbouring communities,” added Snoek. “We felt it was important to offer our program but very modified. We are confident we can offer a safe program.”
Normally, there would be 125 spaces for kids but this summer that number is limited to 24 or three groups of 8 kids and two staff members.
Camp will be limited to children aged 6 to 10 years old only and will be available from Monday to Friday with a weekly registration option only.
Despite the smaller size, fees won’t increase for camp in 2020 – the cost was set at $145 for a week in 2019 pre-pandemic.
Groups must stay together all week and limit interactions with other participants and staff.
Field trips and busing will not be permitted with virtual field trips and outdoor play options instead.
Everyone who enters the building will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Guidelines for camp will have to be approved by health officials before it opens.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Town of Cobourg installs metal fencing at closed Victoria Beach
In Cobourg, the marina has reopened with some modifications.
Seasonal boaters are using slips while transient boaters will be allowed to use slips by the end of the month.
“We’re just working through procedures to accommodate that,” said Dean Hustwick, director of community services for the Town of Cobourg. “We’re also working on procedures to allow continued operation of charter fishing.”
Plexiglass has been installed at the marina to protect staff and separate customers from staff.
The building and washrooms remain closed for now.
Seasonal boaters are spread out on the slips for physical distancing.
“We’ve been able to do that by utilizing more of the transient slips and we’re designating one of the docks for transient use to separate them from the seasonal boaters,” he said. “We’re going to be flexible and move boats around.”
The Town of Cobourg is also dismantling the first responder respite site at the Victoria Park Campground.
“Fortunately we haven’t had to use it for that. We’re now preparing it to open by the end of the month,” added Hustwick.
Meanwhile, the Cobourg Community Centre remains closed with no target date to reopen.
“There’s a lot of work by my staff in scenario planning, trying to determine if and when the facility needs to open in the summer or the fall,” he said. “There’s going to be new procedures for cleaning and disinfecting and how we operate programs with respecting an ongoing need for social distancing.”
Hustwick said his staff is working on procedures for the reopening of the site, but with no pool at the facility and the cancellation of summer camps, there’s no immediate push to reopen it.
Victoria Beach remains closed and fenced off for the summer, although council will receive a report on June 22 detailing how it could be reopened with restrictions.
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