COCHRANE— Since Wednesday (July 1), the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre has been easing into its reopening, with the spray park opening on July 1, and the fitness centre and track reopening to the public on Friday (July 3).
On Tuesday (July 6) the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre announced it would be offering in-person summer fitness classes including yoga, spin classes, boot camps and more.
In the days leading up to the announcement, the staff of the Sports Centre were busy converting the curling rink into a large workout space.
“We are fortunate in the summer to have a lot of dry pad space available where our ice normally sits,” explained Brooke Sabourin, Program Manager at the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre. “Our fitness team was busy marking out sections throughout our curling dry pad, so we can have up to 30 people in a spin class or 30 people in a boot camp— It’s a very safe space to come to work out."
Sabourin said staff is taking several measures to ensure their safety and the safety of the public.
Masks are worn by staff in public areas, members are given sanitizer spray to wipe down equipment after use, and the cleaning schedule has been greatly increased.
A representative from Alberta Health Services conducted a walkthrough of the facility and concluded that the precautions taken are adequate.
"Not only are we meeting the standards, we are exceeding them in many areas as well,” Sabourin said.
The spray park, fitness centre and indoor track have also been well-used since the reopening.
One of the benefits of this facility is the spacious interior, Sabourin said. Because of the large amount of available space, the facilities are operating on a drop-in basis— There is no need to schedule a time in advance.
Memberships also will not be reactivated until September unless the member chooses to go in early, she said. So anyone who feels uncomfortable will not have to pay their membership dues through the summer months unless they use the facilities.
At this point, the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre is also offering seniors only classes to keep vulnerable populations separate from the general public.
The full schedule of fitness programming is available on the website at slsfamilysportscentre.com.
