Families looking to add a museum outing to their summer plans can now step back inside the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina.
The centre, which focuses on the history of the RCMP, reopened to the public Wednesday with coronavirus safety measures in place.
Katrina Robinson and her three young sons were the first guests welcomed inside.
“We were actually really looking forward to getting back, so when I was looking at what museums might be opening in the city and saw this one opened today, we had to seize the opportunity,” she said.
Everyone entering the building is required to use hand sanitizer and wear a mask, which the centre is providing free to guests without.
Floor markings direct the flow of traffic and visitors are expected to maintain physical distance.
Executive director Dan Toppings said guests don’t have to schedule their visit, which includes access to the theatre, gift shop and most exhibits.
“Some of our interactive exhibits are closed, where there’s a lot of hands-on touching,” Toppings said.
“So we will have to monitor the situation and if it appears things are going smoothly, then we will start opening them up as the summer progresses.”
Toppings said the centre isn’t able to provide the full pre-pandemic experience, as programming changes have been made as a precaution.
“The Sergeant Major’s Parade, the sunset ceremony, the driving tours at Depot – those will not be taking place, however, we’ve added a few new things,” he said.
“We have a walkway where people can learn a little about the members – who they were, why they joined the force. We have the Place of Reflection outside where we’re going to be talking more about missing and murdered Indigenous women.”
The centre is also offering indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts, along with day camp options for kids.
The building can accommodate up to 70 people at once. If at capacity, guests will be asked to wait outside until others leave.
Groups, including families, are being restricted to six people moving throughout the space together.
As a precaution, the centre is asking guests to provide one method of contact for tracking purposes in case someone who recently visited is found to have COVID-19.
Toppings noted that not all pre-pandemic staff have been hired back, however, the centre has employed additional custodial staff to help with enhanced cleaning measures.
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