North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater says the city has a challenge ahead in managing the impact of Phase Five not likely occurring till June 2021. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Long haul

Mayor says Phase five announcement has significant implications for North Battleford

Jun 5, 2020 | 3:36 PM

Saskatchewan residents are unlikely to see the ban on large gatherings change prior to next year, putting even more economic pressure on municipalities.

The province announced the splitting up of Phase four of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, to space out the reopening of select facilities. However, Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer also made clear that alleviating restrictions on large gatherings isn’t happening soon.

“Anything that can be done remotely or virtually is better than anything that has to be done in person,” Dr. Saqib Shahab said.

“I think that basic recommendation will remain as long as there is a pandemic in the world. That won’t end until we can enter Phase five, which by my estimates won’t happen before June 2021.”

North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater wasn’t surprised by the announcement. He said the splitting of Phase four makes sense in progressing with caution as access to recreational facilities is reintroduced.

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“This has always been a fluid situation, and reopen Saskatchewan, as a document and a strategy, has always been evolving,” he said.

However, he said it also paints a pretty clear picture that there will be restrictions on large gatherings for the next year, which has significant implications for the city. North Battleford has already seen the cancellation of nearly every major spring and summer event for 2020.

“With our recreation facilities, we rely on rentals for big events,” Bater said. “We are going to have to do ongoing analysis of the financial impact to develop strategies around that.”

It also means constant work on the financial direction of the city, a task that’s already seen challenges since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We have to be adaptive and reactive to these announcements,” Bater said. “It really does make next year’s budget a big challenge in addition to this year’s budget.”

The limits on gatherings means economic impact that affects many parts of life in the region. Bater said residents should expect small numbers for usage at recreational activities.

“There will be limits on the amount of people who can go to the aquatic centre at one time, or the fieldhouse or any other recreation facilities.”

Bater said this will have a devastating impact on the tourism industry as a whole, including sports tourism, a major economic driver in North Battleford.

“Just the act of going to a hockey game is part of our culture,” he said. “But it’s also a part of our economy.”

Moving forward, Bater said residents need to remain vigilant in taking safety precautions and to focus on their respective households.

“Sometimes it can get daunting, seeing something that seems uncontrollable,” he said. “But I think it’s healthy for us in our own lives to focus on those things that we do have control over. And there can be a real sense of accomplishment and wellbeing in that.”

“Everyone is going through this together, so there is some comfort in that.”

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports