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By Chantal Wagner

going to take time

City says pools, gyms, and recreational facilities will not open on Friday

Jun 9, 2020 | 3:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – With phase two of Alberta’s relaunch strategy moving up to Friday, June 12, the city of Medicine Hat says pools, gyms, and recreational facilities which are now included in the second phase, will not be ready for public use in three days.

The city’s director of emergency management Merrick Brown says they need time to digest the new information, especially the requirements laid out by the province on Tuesday afternoon.

He says the new additions to phase two is good news, but it is complex and is going to take time.

“Significant impact on city operations. It’s good, keep in mind. But I want to be able to relay some reality to the public on this one. Even though that pools can open and recreational facilities can open, I have in front of me a 16-page document of requirements that we have to meet to be able to open up a recreational facility. We’re not going to do this in three days and that doesn’t include pools.”

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Brown says there are some significant changes that have to occur for the city in order to open up facilities like hiring staff back and filling pools.

“And so I just want to put some reality in for the public that we won’t be opening up on Friday. It’s physically and operationally impossible for us to do this. There may be some misconception out there that we have staff walking around and maintaining the pool. The pools are empty. We still have to fill the pools which don’t take a day.”

Brown adds the city has no timeline yet for when pools, gyms, and recreation centres like the FLC will open back up.

He reminds residents that the city receives government announcements at the same time the public does.