March 19, 2020 Update from Parks, Recreation and Culture (COVID-19)

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed March 19, 2020 2:59 PM

The City of Nanaimo, Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture, closed its facilities for programs, rentals and drop-in activities on Monday, March 16 after the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, cancelled gatherings of more than 50 people as a way to slow down the transmission of Covid-19.

Even though facilities are closed and programs are cancelled, the department is best using its resources and time by starting several projects now that would normally be scheduled to commence at a later date. This includes moving up the dates of its required annual maintenance of the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Beban Park Pool. The hope is that by doing the bulk of this work now, staff can limit or in many cases avoid facility closures that were initially planned for August and September.

Quick Facts:

• Each year the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Beban Park Pool are closed for approximately a month to undertake both deep cleaning and maintenance projects that cannot be done while the facilities are open to the public.
• Facility staff are being re-directed to aid with shutdown responsibilities.
• Other facility improvements or projects, originally scheduled for later this year, may be worked on during this time.

Quote:

"While we certainly wish we were business as usual, we are taking advantage of this time to improve our facilities by getting projects done in advance to lessen any potential service disruptions once we get the green light to open our doors again from the BC Medical Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.”

Jake Rudolph, City of Nanaimo, Chief Administrative Officer

Print News Release