The Saanich Recreation team is excited to begin welcoming the community to its four centres once again – but with several significant changes.
Since closing to the public on March 17, Saanich has worked to establish a reopening protocol that balances people’s fitness and recreation needs with provincial health recommendations.
First welcoming back daycamps June 29, the Saanich Recreation team is following up with a gradual relaunch of recreational services.
Here’s what you can expect over the coming weeks:
Increased cleaning and disinfecting at all the four centres, including high-touch zones throughout the day.
Weight rooms – weight rooms at all four recreation centres opened Monday, July 13, but with several new protocols. The biggest change has been replacing drop-in access with registered session times and reduced hours, explains Sandra Pearson, Manager at Gordon Head Recreation Centre.
Ninety-minute time slots will be available through the day at most centres, Monday to Friday (daily at Saanich Commonwealth Place), and users will register and pay for the slot they wish to attend, a maximum of five days ahead. Choose from either a single admission or 10-times rate.
At the centre, a greeter will check the registration list and direct people to the weight room, where equipment is spaced to allow for increased distancing. Change rooms for weight room patrons and water fountains are not open, so come changed and with your water bottle ready to work out.
In addition to asking people to disinfect each piece of equipment before and after using it, weight room staff will sanitize between sessions. After class, participants will exit according to the instructions at their centre to minimize contact with others in the next session. “Each centre will be a little different, but signs and instructions will be posted,” Sandra notes.
Registration – Coinciding with weight room openings, centres are now also open for in-person program registration, although to further promote physical distancing, the emphasis is on online and phone registration.
Pools – In addition to offering swim sessions for daycamps by mid-month, Gordon Head welcomes waterfit back to the pool July 20, with two classes each day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to start. Change room access will be staggered, with swimmers encouraged to come in their suits, take a cleansing shower, and bring their clothes to a cubby on the pool deck since lockers won’t be available. Following class, swimmers are encouraged to quickly shower, change and head home promptly. “We really have to encourage people to move through the facilities as quickly as possible,” Sandra says.
Starting Aug. 4, Saanich Commonwealth Place will have similar waterfit classes as well as some lane swimming and water running. Lifeguards at both facilities have received additional training for COVID-19 protocols.
Get the latest details!
To learn more about all the opportunities coming up from Saanich Recreation, visit the online welcome back update. And to stay up-to-date about the resumption of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Facilities, Programs and Activities, sign-up here to receive an e-newsletter conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.