Stayner arena, youth centre set to open

Clearview’s parks and recreation department is preparing to open the Stayner arena and youth centre.
With council’s blessing, the decision applies to those two facilities only. Decisions about opening the Creemore arena and curling rink will be evaluated in the coming weeks and months.
The recommendations are in keeping with Stage 3 of the province’s Framework for Reopening our Province, which allows up to 50 people to use an indoor public space.
Terry Vachon, Clearview’s general manager of parks, culture and recreation, is recommending a soft start-up on Oct. 13 with a progression to regular operations by Dec. 1, if all goes well.
He acknowledged that the status could change at any time, saying if there is a surge of COVID-19 and the province reverts to Stage 2, the plan will change.
“The safety of our staff and the safety of our public is what’s most important here,” said Vachon.
The initial opening would exclude the use of dressing rooms, with no public skating, shinny hockey or walk-in rentals. Ice rental permits will only be provided to regular weekly user groups who can provide a list of participants and their phone numbers for contact tracing purposes and authorize and adhere to the Clearview Township Arena Protocols.
Vachon reported interest from the Stayner Siskins, Clearview Minor Hockey, figure skating clubs and other hockey clubs. He said each association has its own set of protocols to follow, so he is confident that precautions will be taken.
User group members are expected to adhere to their group’s protocols as well as the township’s protocols for safe use in the respective facility. Every user group will have a representative who will monitor facility entry and screen members for COVID-19. This representative will only permit their group members access into the facility, states the 36-page COVID-19 arena protocols.
“I have full confidence in our user groups that they will meet, if not exceed our expectations,” said Vachon.
Staff from both arenas will work in Stayner to ensure all health protocols are met.
Vachon told council he has been investigating the use of a disinfecting fogger that can be used in washrooms, and in change rooms if they were to open at a later date. Until then, players must be fully dressed before entering the facility, and must leave in their gear. Spectators will be discouraged as a way of controlling crowds.
Vachon said coordinating the access in and out will be the biggest challenge, especially during a return to full operation.
If we get there, public skating will resume and will be capped at 40 skaters, who will have the opportunity to make a reservation online or by phone.
“The ice is important to this whole community,” said Mayor Doug Measures.
On Sept. 14, council also supported the re-opening of the Clearview Youth Centre in Stayner.
“Every day since school has been back in, kids have been dropping by, they want to get back to normal. The kits have been wonderful but there is something about that in-person connection that the youth of Clearview are certainly missing and I think that we need to re-open to be there for them again,” said youth centre coordinator Courtney Rogers.
She reported that the youth centre has received $10,000 from United Way Simcoe Muskoka’s Emergency Community Support Fund to help it re-open safely. Rogers said capacity, programming, and the weekly schedule will be altered to meet requirements set out by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. That means there will be no kitchen use and there will be a maximum of eight youth allowed in the centre each night, with no coming and going. All visitors will be screened and tracked.

File photo: The Creemore arena and curling club will remain closed for the time being as staff is deployed to the Stayner arena, set to open on Oct. 13.