After months of pandemic-caused closure, the City of Surrey’s park, recreation and culture facilities will reopen in a phased approach starting Monday, Aug. 17 with the arena at North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex.
Reopening schedule details are posted online at surrey.ca, on the “Surrey’s Response to COVID-19” page.
“As part of our phased approach, Parks, Recreation & Culture facilities will gradually begin to reopen, starting on August 17 with the North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex arena, and continue with additional facilities through the fall,” says a post on the website. “Facilities will have modified hours and programs.”
Due to reopen on Sept. 8 are Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, Clayton Hall, Cloverdale Ball Park Fieldhouse, Cloverdale Mini Rec, Cloverdale Recreation Centre, Cloverdale Arena, Don Christian Community Centre, Elgin Centre, Fleetwood Community Centre, Fraser Heights Recreation Centre, Guildford Recreation Centre (no pool), Newton Recreation Centre (no pool), South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre, South Surrey Arena, Surrey Sports & Leisure Complex (fitness) and Surrey Sport & Leisure Arena (one sheet of ice).
• RELATED STORY, from July 8: Surrey-area associations gear up for hockey restart.
On Sept. 9, the plan is to reopen the doors to the Museum of Surrey, Surrey Arts Centre/Surrey Art Gallery and Surrey Libraries (City Centre, Cloverdale, Fleetwood, Guildford, Newton, Ocean Park, Semiahmoo and Strawberry Hill branches).
Kensington Prairie Community Centre will reopen on Sept. 14, and a mid-October reopening date is the target for the arena and aquatic centre at Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex in Fleetwood.
Councillor Linda Annis wants city hall to reopen Surrey’s pools and aquatic centres this month, rather than wait until October.
“The mayor is keeping pools and aquatic centres closed to reduce the city’s deficit coming out of COVID-19, meanwhile the $129 million police transition budget remains untouched,” Annis said in a press release.
“There is absolutely no reason not to get on with reopening our pools and aquatic centres. We can meet every COVID-19 requirement today. Instead, the mayor is keeping things closed and those savings are being used to help fund the police transition bill.”
Annis said that after pressure from the community the city recently moved to open more sheets of ice faster than originally planned, and she wants the same approach taken to Surrey’s pools.
“COVID cannot be an excuse any longer, there is no provincial health regulation prohibiting reopening with the right rules in place,” Annis charged. “So, staying closed isn’t a health decision, it’s a political decision by the mayor and his four councillors to save money and then spend those savings on the costly police transition bill.”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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