While many businesses have had to shut their doors due to COVID-19 health restrictions, it is business as usual for Calaway Park’s year-round employees as they prepare for a hopeful May 22 opening.
Last year, the park opened in July for a shortened 60-day season. The amusement park was exempt from pandemic shutdowns as it was deemed an outdoor facility and subject to restricted capacity, with social distancing measures and mandatory masking in place.
This year, Calaway Park General Manager Bob Willliams said they are taking into consideration the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and will be working closely with Alberta Health to ensure a safe opening for guests in the near future. The Alberta government recently announced a shift back to Step 1 of its reopening plan, due to the ongoing climb in cases and hospitalizations.
“COVID evolves on a daily basis and so from our perspective, we will work with Alberta Health to ensure that we meet their criteria, because that’s the most important thing of all, that we want guests to know that we’re safe and yet at the same time they can still come out and have fun,” said Williams.
According to Williams, during the off-season, Calaway Park’s winter maintenance team is busy completing non-destructive testing – or NDT testing – to ensure that there is no “metal fatigue” on the park’s rides.
“All the rides come in and they go through a winter maintenance program that we do every year, regardless of what happens. So from that perspective, that carries on as normal,” Williams said. “You don’t just turn on a key to turn on the park. There’s a ton of work.”
“People ask us what we do all winter and there’s more work than you can believe that happens on [an annual] basis.”
Williams said the park’s administration and marketing departments have also been busy getting ready for Calaway Park’s milestone 40th anniversary this year. He said the teams have completed the hiring process for this year’s seasonal staff, including post-secondary supervisory, captain and lead positions.
“This year we had a record of applications for seasonal employment, so by the end of February, we already had over 3,000 job applications and we were fully hired for the summer operation by March 15,” he said.
The general manager said over 50 per cent of seasonal staff that worked at the park in 2020 have returned for the upcoming season.
“I’m very proud of the team because we had impeccable standards as far as safety, because it’s all about safety for us. COVID has just added another layer of safety that’s required,” he added.
In 2020, the park operated with approximately 450 seasonal team members. Calaway Park implemented daily wellness and temperature checks and socially distanced outdoor break areas, along with a reservation system for guests and 33 per cent capacity restrictions.
Williams claimed the park operated throughout the 60-day season without a single COVID-19 case that could be traced back to the park.
“All the things that we put in place around safety, and there were restrictions, and yet the guests came and the guest feedback to us was that we were safe, they felt safe, and they still had great family fun,” he said.
In its off-season, the park has implemented online activities for guests including Calaway Bingo, interactive colouring sheets that can be used with a Smartphone app and Max the Robot Design Challenge, which continues until the end of April.
These activities have been key for Calaway Park to stay connected with guests on a monthly basis when the park is closed, according to Williams. He added that, moving forward, kindness and empathy will be important as the park navigates the coming months.
“You have to be adaptable and to be able to be flexible, and so these are the things we’re learning, but the key is going to be communication and the primary focus has got to be safety,” he said.
For more information, visit calawaypark.com. Updates will also be available on their website every two weeks as the COVID-19 pandemic develops.
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