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Canada Games Centre readies for skaters, swimmers

Second phase of rec centre reopening starts Aug. 3
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The Canada Games Centre will reopen its skating rink and pool on Aug. 3. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News file)

Swimmers and skaters can start making their way back to the Canada Games Centre on Aug. 3.

That’s when the City of Whitehorse recreation complex will move to the second phase in its reopening plan. As stated on the city’s Facebook page, that will begin Aug. 3 with the Northwestel Arena being open to drop-in sessions like public skate and pucks ‘n sticks as well as user bookings. On the same date the pool will reopen to registered lane swimming and water walking.

Later in the month, on Aug. 18, the city is anticipating opening the field house to drop-ins and user bookings.

This phase of the reopening comes more than a month after the CGC opened its doors June 15 for the first phase of the reopening since the CGC was fully shut in March due to COVID-19.

Though the pool hasn’t been open, the city has hosted swimming lessons outside at Long Lake.

The first phase of the reopening saw the CGC running track, wellness centre and flexihall reopened along with the studio used for fitness classes. The facility’s field house along with Takhini Arena and the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre have also been in use since then for summer day camps run by the city, which have been modified from how they are typically run to address distancing measures.

In June Krista Mroz, the city’s manager of recreation and facility services, said the city would be taking a slow, measured approach to reopening in the hopes that would allow the city to adjust as needed and move on to future phases.

“We’re excited to open the doors,” she said at the time.

The drop-in activities listed at the CGC after Aug. 3 show public skate, pucks ‘n sticks, families on the move, basketball, pickle ball, badminton and soccer, along with a number of fitness classes like yoga, boot camp, Zumba, tabata, STRONG and more.

A number of changes were made to the CGC before it reopened in June including the installation of Plexiglas dividers at counters, the addition of hand sanitizer stations, signage for distancing, directions to help with traffic flow through the facility, and more stringent limits on the number of people in each area among others.

As the city gets set for the second part of its reopening for the Canada Games Centre, it’s not known exactly when the final piece to reopening will happen.

The final phase is set to see public swim and other pool activities back on the list of drop-in activities along with the reopening of the child play area and child minding services. Youth programs, large group events and gatherings, and tournaments are also on the list for the final phase of the CGC reopening.

Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com



Stephanie Waddell

About the Author: Stephanie Waddell

I joined Black Press in 2019 as a reporter for the Yukon News, becoming editor in February 2023.
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