The Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre is open again for business after being closed since the start of the pandemic in March. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

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Mark Basaraba of Battleford said he was thrilled to swim some laps again, “getting back into my old routine.”

He was among the first visitors when the Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre reopened Wednesday, as part of the province’s Re-open Saskatchewan Plan. The centre was closed since March due to COVID-19 restrictions and to complete some repairs in the duration.

Basaraba missed the aquatic centre while it was closed as he used to enjoy coming for a swim every day at lunch time.

North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater said it is great to have the facility available to the public again.

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“This is one of the first facilities that had to be closed when the public health orders for the pandemic were delivered by the province,” he said. “So there has been a lot of planning. It is very different from normal. Of course there will be a lot fewer people able to go into the pool at any one time. There are a lot of requirements around sanitization.”

The facility will now be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesdays to Sundays, with scheduled breaks for cleaning. There will be three swim times: from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Attendees will need to register for contact tracing before entering, in the event someone were to test positive for COVID-19.

The lane pool, wave pool, hot tub, diving board and lazy river are open, but the slides and steam room will not be available due to COVID-19 precautions.

A maximum of 40 people are permitted in each of the two pools — the 25-metre swimming pool and the wave pool. A maximum of 80 people are allowed in the facility at a time.

The mayor noted originally showers and lockers were not expected to be accessible due to the time constraints for cleaning, but they will now be available. There will not be any privacy curtains for the showers however, due to sanitization requirements. So it is suggested people leave on their bathing suits while rinsing before and after their swim. As well, there will be limited lockers available.

“It’s not quite the way it used to be, but it will still be enjoyable; it will be fun for those who want to go swimming,” Bater said, adding he is glad to see the pool accessible again to residents.

Cheryl Deneire, city director of leisure services, was pleased to have the facility open again to visitors also.

“We’re excited to be back,” she said with a smile on opening day.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW