Hill Pool reopened Tuesday to the public with a number of new rules and regulations (Tiffany Goodwein/ CHAT News Today)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Lazy days of summer likely to require a bit more effort to cool down

Jul 28, 2020 | 5:44 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- As the mercury rises so too does the desire to cool down. But with COVID-19, taking a dip in the pool or the lake has become a little more complicated, according to some Medicine Hat residents.

“I think we have had to be more creative given what we are going to do choosing times where hopefully less people will be around,” said one woman at Echo Dale.

“Well we have a lot of hand sanitizer around and we brought our masks and we just tell our kids to wash their hands as much as they can and stay away from people,” said another woman visiting the park.

City pools are no exception with markers on the floor, regulations prohibiting showering after your swim to reduce the number of people in change rooms, and increased cleanings throughout.

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Pre-booking swim times have also become the norm this summer, making the spontaneous trip to the pool, for the most part, a thing of the past due to COVID-19.

“That just allows us to make sure there is a space available for people when they attend and ensures that we have the capacity and we’ve got the staffing in place and people can enjoy the facilities,” James Hill general manager of parks and recreation for the City of Medicine Hat said.

Hill pool opened Tuesday, increasing capacity by giving Hatters yet another option to go swimming.

“We know that Hill Pool is typically the busiest pool that we have in the summertime, and that combined with the numbers that we have started to see at Strathcona Pool, and with Echo Dale and the attendance we have seen there, we know that Hill is going to be busy we know that Hill is going to be popular, and we are excited to be able to offer that to the community,” James Hill, general manager of parks and recreation for the city added

To ensure users of the city facilities are following the rules, there are COVID-19 monitors like Jadyn Fode.

“It’s a little bit hectic because a lot of people they are kind of over the whole COVD-19 thing and following rules, and telling people they can’t hang out with their friends and go and be with other people that are your family, it’s kind of annoying for them I feel, but otherwise people are listening really good and they are following the rules as much as they can, but it is very different,” she said.

While there may be more rules this summer, Hatters say they are willing to do what they can to cool down.

“We have gone to the beach, we’ve put the sprinklers on in our backyard,” said one woman.

“I’ve been going down to the lake and obviously Echo Dale and down to the river,” said one man at Echo Dale.

Public facilities are likely to be busy as temperatures are expected to spike past the 30-degree mark for much of this week.

The public can register for swim times and lessons on the city’s website or by calling 403-502-8566.