Red Deer Playgrounds opening with these guidelines

From the City of Red Deer

Phased reopening of playgrounds starts today

The City of Red Deer has begun a to reopen playgrounds with a phased approach between now and May 29, 2020.“We know the closure of playgrounds has been difficult for some families with young children. We are re-opening playgrounds and fitness parks while continuing to align with recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, but caution the public that these structures are high touch and high contact surfaces,” said Karen Mann, Emergency Operations Centre Director.A phased approach is necessary to ensure maintenance and inspections are completed in advance of reopening any playground or outdoor fitness structures. New signage and removal of caution tape will signal citizens as to when respective playgrounds are officially open. Crews will work in the north and south simultaneously to open playgrounds as quickly as possible across the entire city.Citizens are asked to refrain from using playground or outdoor fitness structures until crews remove the closed signs and caution tape.

Although playground reopenings are happening in alignment with all public health orders and restrictions, citizens are still encouraged to exercise caution and do what is necessary to continue to help prevent spread of COVID-19.

Equipment will be inspected prior to opening. The City is not washing or sanitizing structures and families are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer to the park with them, limit contact with others, and visit playgrounds within their own neighbourhoods.

Users are reminded of and must follow public health guidelines including:

Maintaining 2 metre physical distance;
Gathering in groups of 50 or fewer;
Only sharing common equipment with members of the same family or cohort;
Staying home if you feel sick;
Washing and sanitizing your hands before and after using these areas.

“Due to the diligence and commitment of our residents throughout this pandemic to complying with all orders and recommendations from health officials, we are now in a position to begin re-opening a number of our amenities in a phased manner,” says Mann, “While we are as pleased as you are to see playgrounds and fitness parks starting to re-open, we know it will take the continued support of all residents to keep each other safe and healthy through this relaunch.”

Residents can call the City’s call centre at 403-342-8111 if they have questions regarding the playground reopening or any City services. More information on the City’s response to COVID-19 can be found at www.reddeer.ca/COVID.

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City not mandating masks in Red Deer yet

Published on July 24, 2020

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Statement from Mayor Tara Veer, on behalf of City Council, on mask usage in Red Deer

“The mandatory use of masks continues to be a topic of conversation in communities across Alberta and around Canada as we all respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Alberta has indicated that they do not have province wide plans for mandatory masking and have left the decision to municipalities to make decisions based on their local situation.

The City continues to follow the number of cases in Red Deer and the Central Zone health region very closely. The recent uptick in cases in the region is concerning and serves as a reminder of the importance of following all public health orders to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community. At this time, given current case numbers within the city, The City of Red Deer is not considering implementing mandatory masking in Red Deer, however this may be revisited at any time given fluctuating case numbers in the city and region along with direction from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

We are asking our citizens and businesses to follow health and safety protocols on a voluntary basis and for the safety of others. Mask use continues to be strongly recommended, particularly indoors, when physical distancing of two metres from people outside your cohort group is not possible. The Province has made masks available in a number of places across Alberta, free of charge, and The City of Red Deer received masks to hand out for free to transit users. There are also masks available at City recreation facilities for scheduled users to help elevate voluntary public participation in City amenities.

Implementing a mandatory masking policy in public spaces needs to be considered with other health orders and in context with the overall local severity of the pandemic. The caseload in the region is absolutely critical to The City’s consideration of implementing a mandatory mask policy. As such, we continue to have discussions with other local leaders within the Central Zone health region to ensure our decisions are cohesive as we all access the same healthcare services.”

City of Red Deer

Swimming pools and Field House / Gym open in Red Deer – Users have to reserve in advance

Published on July 20, 2020

Duane Rolheiser

From the City of Red Deer

Recreation amenities to open Monday

Additional City recreation amenities will open in Red Deer Monday, July 20.

All users must reserve a spot in advance for the following activities, either online or via phone; drop-ins are not permitted.

Aquatic fitness classes at Michener Aquatic Centre (shallow water only at this time)
Public swimming at Collicutt Centre and G.H. Dawe Community Centre
Indoor fitness and running track at Collicutt Centre
Field house and gymnasium at Collicutt Centre and G.H. Dawe Community Centre
In addition to general safety procedures for all recreation facilities, activity-specific guidelines are in place and can be found at reddeer.ca/reserve.
Prior to reserving activities, it is recommended that everyone login to Look ‘n Book to ensure your accounts are ready to go and that your password is working. Account support can take up to three business days so this is an important step before booking recreation activities. Customers without online access can call 403-309-8411 to register.

As recreation and culture amenities open, The City strongly encourages users to remain vigilant and continue exercising caution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including washing/sanitizing hands often and staying home when feeling ill. Facility users will be required to follow all Alberta Health guidelines and public health orders including maintaining physical distancing when possible.
For more information about activity modifications and reserving recreation activities, visit reddeer.ca/reserve.