Eastlink Centre users and members will soon see regular, pre-COVID, fees and membership rates reinstated. The facility is expanding the availability of its amenities, resuming fitness classes and adding back Sunday hours.
As of October 13th, aquatics facilities will be made available for public use. The use of bathrooms and shower stalls will remain limited, and there will be no access to lockers. The indoor walking/ running track will reopen, as well as the fitness centre will be made available. Fitness classes are also set to resume.
The fieldhouse will be open with early-morning availability; the squash courts will be available for drop-in pre-bookings for single players and league bookings; the Grandstand will be available for league bookings.
The Coca-Cola Centre will be open to all pre-booked spaces with cohorts.
City of Grande Prairie Guest Services Supervisor Bobbi Way says the reinstated user fees allow the facility to keep pace both with the amenities it offers as well as to be more in line with similar facilities across Alberta.
“With the added amenities we are adding as of the 13th, we’re getting closer to the tipping point where the value of what we’re offering is greater than the price we are charging, and to come into alignment with the rest of the facilities within the province,’ she says.
“The majority of them either didn’t have a reduced rate or they did but they have already gone back to their regular rates as of September.”
Three options have been made available to regular facility membership owners as of the rate reinstatement. Members can either reactivate their accounts, cancel their membership with a credit to the account for the remaining balance, or cancel their membership and receive a cheque equal to the remaining balance on their membership. Reactivation or cancellation of membership can be completed through the City of Grande Prairie website. Any memberships that have not been cancelled or reactivated by November 30th will automatically be closed, with the remaining balance credited to the account.
All visits to the facility will still require bookings in advance, as user capacity remains limited with respect to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Members are being recommended to book their slots one week in advance, and drop-in users to pre-book three days ahead of time. Schedules and time slots have been made available online.
Way adds the leisure centres will allow a maximum of 50 participants at any given time. Similar to the booking style of the outdoor pool, bookings for single cohorts are available, though, on a more regular basis, multiple smaller groups will be able to occupy the same time slot.
“[Timeslots] are available three days a week and the timeslots are 90 minutes each… this is not just for you and your cohort, this would be like, ‘my family could book five spots, and your family could book three spots,’ and whatnot.”
Physical distancing and sanitation protocols will remain in effect as directed by Alberta Health Services. Also to be noted, users will now enter the Eastlink Centre from the west entrance as opposed to the south, which has been the standard since the facility reopened.