BC’s Restart Plan For Recreation Opportunities Being Reviewed By The City Of Williams Lake

The City of Wiliams Lake is reviewing BC’s Restart Plan to determine the appropriate time to reopen recreation spaces and facilities, while still maintaining physical distancing measures to protect the community and healthcare system.

They’re working closely with the BC Recreation and Parks Association who have been asked by the Province to create additional recreation guidelines per the directives of the Provincial Health Officer.

The BCRPA is collaborating with viaSport, SportBC, Recreation Facilities Association of British Columbia, WorkSafeBC, the Lifesaving Society, Municipal Insurance Association of BC and the BC Municipal Safety Association and are expected to have the new guidelines to be completed by May 20^th.

Events and Marketing Coordinator Guillermo Angel said they know from the restart plan that some items won’t be opening until at least a minimum of June or July so it’s going to be following those timelines as well.

“We don’t have any timelines in place at this time. Everything is just a discussion for preparation but we are definitely understanding that some things are going to open sooner, some things are going to be available sooner, and some things are going to take a lot longer and it’s going to be baby steps, it’s going to be small processes that will take us to the bigger picture of having everything kinda available for everyone”.

Angel said working closely with BC Recreation and Parks Association is going to really help formulate the City’s plan as to how they are going to, one, re-introduce some of the recreation facilities to the community, what programs are going to be allowed, and even kind of dictate to when we might be able to bring things indoors and reopen some of the facilities that have been closed to the public.

Ian James, Director of Community Services, said: “We understand our residents are eager to get out, be active and enjoy the community’s recreation facilities, but as Premier Horgan emphasized, we have to be slow and deliberate in our actions to ensure that once we reopen, we can stay open”.