Winnipeg City Councillor Kevin Klein serving Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood
After questions from many of my friends who are involved in minor hockey, and young referee's that are excited to return (I continue to be a Referee in Chief). We sent a request for information to the Public Service on July 31st to the Mayor, Administration, and all members of the council asking;
When will city ice become available to rent?
What dressing room and spectator restrictions will be implemented?
Have the city-owned/community-run arena’s been given COVID restrictions, or are those decisions up to the operators?
The Public Service has responded to our inquiry about when and how will Winnipeg arenas open.
In an email we were told, "The City of Winnipeg does not currently have ice at any of the 12 city operated rinks. The Community Services Department, together with the Municipal Accommodations Division of PPD, are preparing for the upcoming ice season this Fall and, per the Ice Allocation Policy, ice will be available early October (date to be confirmed).
The Community Services Department and Planning, Property and Development Department are reviewing precautionary measures to ensure safe use of City-operated arenas for employees and citizens. Changes to operations may include restricted access to public spaces such as spectator seating, reduced access times before and after games, changes for players where showers may not be available and water bottles must be filled at home.
The City-owned/community-run community centres and arenas are responsible to comply with the Provincial Health Orders and take the necessary measures to enforce social distancing and reduced capacities.
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ORIGINAL POST August 1, 2020
Making headlines in Western Canada recently was a youth hockey tournament held in Winnipeg.
I received a few questions from residents that were concerned that proper protocols might not have been followed. At this point, I have no reason to believe that any of these games were played out of city-run facilities.
That story triggered questions from many of my friends who are involved in minor hockey, and young referee's that are excited to return (I continue to be a Referee in Chief). It's true, some of us are only weeks away from pulling the gear out of storage for another season. Thousand of young people from all corners of our city will return to hockey, ringette, sled-hockey, and skating.
However, before that happens, many questions must be answered. So I sent an email on Thursday to the Mayor, Administration, and all members of the council asking;
When will city ice become available to rent?
What dressing room and spectator restrictions will be implemented?
Have the city-owned/community-run arena’s been given COVID restrictions, or are those decisions up to the operators?
I am concerned the City of Winnipeg is not communicating with the many stakeholders that depend on arenas. We need to organize online meetings and answer the many questions our community associations, parents, and stakeholders will have.
As we continue to navigate COVID-19, sharing information is critical. Talking about the rules will lead to an understanding of the rules, and understanding the rules will lead to accepting and following the rules.
I hope to receive full the details I requested from the Public Service quickly, at which time I will share online and schedule a few online meetings to review the requirements and answer questions.
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