New Westminster approves plan for reopening civic facilities
By Theresa McManus
Civic facilities in New Westminster will look a little different when they start to reopen in the coming months.
Council has approved a draft recovery plan for the reopening of civic facilities and the restarting of some programs that were suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the gradual reopening of city facilities, physical modifications such as Plexiglas barriers, floor markings and signage are being planned and ordered.
“Access to city facilities will also look different than before. Many of our facilities will have reduced capacity, to ensure physical distancing. We will have controlled entries to facilities and we will have physical barriers, full markings and signage installed,” said Jim Lowrie, the city’s director of engineering. “Safety plans are being developed for all city facilities, and there will be appropriate physical barriers, separation of staff, staff training, provision of personal protective equipment and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting at all of our facilities.”
Lowrie said the city’s recovery plan is focused on balancing the health and safety of the public and city employees, community need and economic recovery – of both the city and the broader New Westminster economy.
“The schedule for the reopening of city facilities and programs is being prioritized on seasonal need and will necessitate modified operations in many cases in order to meet provincial health officer orders and guidelines,” Lowrie said. “Levels of service will also be dependent on the city’s financial situation.”
Along with starting a phased-in program for reopening playgrounds starting this month, the city is resuming bookings for small gatherings in picnic shelters, the Queen’s Park rose garden and Anvil Centre.
City amenities set to reopen in July include the animal shelter and tow yard, and the engineering operations and electrical operations customer counters. Summer day camps and outdoor discovery programs, spray parks and Moody Park outdoor pool will also open in July.
“There will be a number of modified approaches related to operating the pool itself, simply because of health and safety issues related to the public and our staff, and also for managing the numbers of people that are at the site at one time,” said Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “Those protocols are still being developed.”
It’s expected that Canada Games Pool, Centennial Community Centre, Queensborough Community Centre, Queen’s Park Sportsplex, Moody Park Arena, Queen’s Park Arena, Anvil Centre Theatre, New Media Gallery, New Westminster Museum and Archives, the New West Youth Centre and Irving House will reopen for in-person access in the fall.
“What we can imagine that means is, when we approach the fall, we will likely have a somewhat smaller offering of services,” Gibson said. “The capacity of our facilities may end up being reduced somewhat, and we will have much more structure in the way that people enter and exit the facilities, the manner in which they engage with each other and staff in the facilities, and the simple things such as change rooms, than they have been accustomed to in the past.”
Gibson said the city plans to reopen selected portions of Century House this summer to provide residents with an escape from warm temperatures during extreme heat events. Working with the Century House Association, he said a graduated reopening of Century House services will get underway this fall.
Chief Librarian Julie Spurrell said the New Westminster Public Library will continue to provide and expand on its digital and online services, as well as its recently launched library take-out service. Starting in August, the library is planning to offer access to computers and tech help, study/work spaces and to the children’s area at the Uptown branch – on a by-appointment basis.
While the library is “eager” to reopen, Spurrell said the facilities need to be as safe as possible. She said it’s hoped that general access to the library could get underway in September, but it’s unlikely in-house programs will resume until early 2021.
The city is working on plans to reopen New Westminster City Hall to the public in October. Although some staff are working in the building, it is currently only open to the public for essential services on an appointment-only basis.
According to a staff report, the city expects theQ to Q ferry to resume sailings between the Quayside and Queensborough neighbourhoods in the spring of 2021.
“On behalf of the staff, we are looking forward to the reopening of city facilities and programs and providing services to our community,” Lowrie told council June 1.
