SOUTH GLENGARRY, Ontario – At their meeting on Friday, July 20, 2020 Township of South Glengarry Council decided to direct administration to put the ice back in at the Char-Lan Recreation Centre.
The Centre was closed on March 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, all hockey, skating, and other recreational activities were stopped.
Additionally, all planned Spring and Summer camps were cancelled, affecting more than 1,000 registrants.
The Township of South Glengarry will be the first to take this step to re-open one of their recreation facilities, and they have taken the initiative to reach out to all neighbouring municipalities and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) to ensure that this is done safely.
While Council did not decide on a date to open the Char-Lan Rec Centre on Monday night, there was a desire to see the facility opened as soon as safely possible.
“While I understand there would be increased cost to re-open. We should give thoughts to the value of that building both for a physical perspective and a mental health perspective to our community,” said Councillor Stephanie Jaworski. “When we do open up the arena, and I hope that is sooner than later, that it is important to have a manger or Mr. Ladouceur on site because there will be changes in operations.”
Deputy Mayor Lyle Warden agreed.
“I’ve had a number of emails sent from users of the arena. I would like to see it open as soon as possible,” he said. “I see this as a mental health issue. I see it as an avenue for our residents to get out of their house and skate a few laps.”
Rick Ladouceur, South Glengarry’s Recreation Director pointed to one sport that seemed ready to restart their activities, the skating clubs.
“The other thing I wanted to mention was that figure skating is at the head of the class with being ready to go. Hockey not so much,” said Ladouceur, pointing the ease of enforcing social distancing in a sport like figure skating over a team sport like hockey.
Council mused that perhaps the Char-Lan Rec Centre should be opened at the start of the skating season in October.
South Glengarry administration will be meeting with neighbouring municipalities and the EOHU to further discuss best practices in re-opening recreation facilities and will return to Council at their next meet in August to present.
Ladouceur did note however that re-opening the Rec Centre will see an increase in cleaning costs in the order of $4,000.
