After months closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wawa's Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre is looking at reopening its doors.
In their meeting Tuesday night, Council approved Community Services and Tourism Director Alex Patterson's recommendation on the reopening of the facility, which has already been brought to user groups for input.
It outlines two-week phases, starting with a focus on youth recreational programming, then for seniors, then other adults, with the final phase for "private and commercial rentals" - scheduling will be similarly prioritized - with the first phase expected to begin the first week of October, potentially October 5th, and the last phase expected toward the end of November.
There's a slight caveat for the rink: a key piece of equipment is needed for ice-making, expected to arrive as early as Monday - which should allow ice to be ready for October 5th - but Patterson's wary about the delivery date.
Once the facility reopens, there will be a number of changes, like cleaning "buffer time" between events and reduced capacity for physical distancing - plans are to keep the arena stands closed for now, with user groups asked to help police attendance for their events to keep within allowed limits, while municipal programming would stick to attendance lists.
Asked what would happen if a pandemic-related lockdown's imposed after ice is in, Patterson called it their "biggest financial risk" and a "really difficult call" that would need to be made based on the facts of that moment.
During the meeting, Patterson emphasized the reopening plan isn't just a municipal plan but an entire facility use plan - something that has always relied on a good partnership with user groups, though now more than ever.