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Town of Ponoka announces new COVID-19 restrictions

Aquaplex is temporarily closed
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In response to the latest provincial health restrictions announced this week to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Town of Ponoka is implementing the following new restrictions until further notice.

Effective immediately, the Ponoka Aquaplex and the Ponoka Arena Complex are temporarily closed. All swimming lessons and facility bookings at the Aquaplex are cancelled for the next three weeks. To receive a refund or account credits for a cancelled booking, please contact the Aquaplex at 403-783-0131. No new bookings will be taken at this time. All Aquaplex memberships will be paused during the closure and will be reactivated once the facility is able to reopen again. The curling rink and racquetball courts at the Ponoka Arena Complex, and the Hudson’s Green Community Activity Centre also remain temporarily closed to the public until further notice.

Outdoor recreation facilities closed to group bookings

The following outdoor recreation facilities are also closed to group bookings until further notice: the Town’s ball diamonds, soccer fields and the tennis/pickle ball courts. These facilities will remain open for individual and household bookings. To book these facilities for individual or household use, please visit the Town website at www.ponoka.ca and click ‘Aquaplex’ under ‘Popular Pages’ or click the following link: https://www.ponoka.ca/visiting/recreation/aquaplex. If you need assistance with bookings, please phone 403-783-0131.

Other outdoor recreation facilities that remain open for the public to enjoy include:

- All public playground equipment in Ponoka;

- Hamilton’s Skate Park;

- Battle River Valley trail system; and

- The outdoor fitness park (located across from the Scout Hall on 46A Street Close).

Signage is being updated at each outdoor recreation facility outlining current provincial health orders and directives to be followed by individuals who use the facilities. The public health orders include a new outdoor gathering restriction of no more than five people and a maximum of two household cohorts per gathering; keeping a two-metre distance from others who don’t live in the same household and staying home if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Facility users are also advised to use hand sanitizer immediately before and after using outdoor recreation equipment. The new restrictions mean that the maximum number of people who can gather at one time at Hamilton’s Skate Park is five people.

The Town of Ponoka thanks citizens for their continued diligence in following provincial health requirements to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s very important that our citizens continue to follow the physical distancing requirements when using these outdoor recreation facilities so that we can eventually see restrictions eased back,” said Andrew Jones, Town of Ponoka Recreation Coordinator.

“The Town knows how important it is to provide access to outdoor recreational facilities for our citizens because of the quality of life benefits these facilities offer to our community – especially when our indoor rec facilities have to be closed to help prevent the spread of this virus,” said Town of Ponoka Chief Administrative Officer Sandra Lund.

“That’s why we’re asking our citizens to help keep these facilities open during the pandemic by diligently following all measures being put in place,” said Lund.

She notes that if the Town receives reports of individuals not following provincial health requirements at outdoor facilities such as the Skate Park, there is a risk that these facilities will be required to close to protect public health and safety.

-Submitted by the Town of Ponoka



Emily Jaycox

About the Author: Emily Jaycox

I’m Emily Jaycox, the editor of Ponoka News and the Bashaw Star. I’ve lived in Ponoka since 2015 and have over seven years of experience working as a journalist in central Alberta communities.
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