The town is taking a measured approach as it begins to look at reopening some of its recreational facilities, in light of the province’s announcement of the second stage of its relaunch strategy.
The Province of Alberta announced that Stage 2 of the Provincial Relaunch Strategy begins Friday, June 12, 2020. A number of Stage 3 items are now scheduled for reopening in Stage 2. The announcements state that indoor and outdoor recreation, fitness, and sports centres, including gyms and swimming pools, with measures in place, are able to reopen as soon as Friday.
So far there are no scheduled dates as to reopening any Drumheller recreational facilities.
"We are excited that the Province has provided the guidance to reopen many of our beloved facilities earlier than we anticipated, however this does not change our approach to reopening," explains Darryl Drohomerski, CAO of the Town of Drumheller. "We will continue as planned with our measured approach. The safety of our residents and employees is our highest priority and we will not rush to reopen any of our facilities before we have the people and processes in place to do so safely."
Town Administration will be currently reviewing what areas and services will be able to operate safely when they reopen. This includes outdoor facilities like the Rotary Spray Park, the outdoor swimming pool, and the fountain.
The Town of Drumheller's indoor recreation facilities are planning to open as soon as they can safely.
"Members at the Drumheller Aquaplex and Badlands Community Facility will continue to have their memberships extended due to the closure, and will not incur membership fees. Should anyone receive a renewal notice for their memberships, we ask everyone for patience as staff work to update the membership database for when the facilities reopen," said Drohomerski.
"We are committed to providing updates on all of our facilities as we reopen," says Mayor Heather Colberg. "On behalf of Council and Administration, especially our recreation staff, we are excited to welcome everyone back. Thank you for your patience as we navigate through these changing circumstances."