Implementing Stage 2 of Alberta’s economic relaunch strategy a week early meant little to no changes for a library and gym in the Black Diamond-Turner Valley area.
Managers of the Sheep River Library in Turner Valley and Focus Family FITness in Black Diamond say they’re sticking to their original reopening plans, having anticipated a June 20 implementation before the Province announced on June 9 that Stage 2 would be launching June 12.
“We already had a plan in place so it hasn’t changed at all,” said Jan Burney, Sheep River Library manager. “We’re in a slightly different position from some other libraries because our staff has all been laid off, so it’s a slower process for us to get things up and running.”
Burney said the plan is to return staff to work on June 22 and begin offering curbside services on June 24. She expects the facility will open to the public a week or two later.
Library staff members have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, said Burney.
Although Plexiglas has been installed at the front desk and between work spaces closer than six feet in distance, Burney said traffic flow floor stickers must be installed and a plan must be made regarding the handling of public computers, as well as books and other equipment that’s loaned out to members.
“There is a lot to consider when you think of all of the surfaces in a library that can be touched,” she said. “How do you deal with people pulling books out of stacks and putting them back in?”
Burney said staff will remove toys from the children’s area.
Anything that’s checked out will be quarantined for three days upon its return, she said.
“It will take a week or so to get these things all figured out, and because we’ve had the staff laid off they need to be back employed before we can start dealing with those issues,” she said.
Burney said she’s also working on getting people back on board like the library’s cleaning crew and the company that cleans the doormats.
Libraries were just one of the services that will be offered to Albertans in Stage 2 of the Province’s relaunch strategy.
Some of the others include wellness services like massage and acupuncture, aesthetic services like manicures, waxing and facing treatments, tanning beds and cinemas.
Exercise gyms were also on the list, much to the delight of Focus Family FITness manager Trina Hampton.
“It’s great news,” said Hampton, who manages the business with her husband Kim. “When you’re in this industry it’s the faces you miss the most.”
While the Hamptons are eager to get the fitness centre back up and running, they expect a lot of work in the days ahead to meet Alberta Health Services protocols and regulations from physical distancing to sanitization.
“Some people are jumping into opening right on Friday (June 12) but I’m not sure how they are doing that with protocols and getting all the stuff they need in place to do so,” she said last week. “We want to do it right. It’s better to go overboard at the beginning.”
Being a small gym, Hampton said some restrictions will be easy to meet such as limiting the number of members in the facility at once and maintaining the two metre physical distance standard.
After opening the centre to allow members to pick up their shoes on June 12, this week will be spent researching the protocols and regulations before the couple reopens the doors on June 19. The Hamptons will host a reopen house to reveal the changes in the fitness centre on June 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
While reopening at the beginning of summer isn’t ideal for any fitness centre, Hampton hopes to see a boost in membership with more people staying at home.
“It’s going to be nice getting people mentally healthy,” she said. “It’s so important to make us stronger through all of this and to be able to let it all go and keep moving forward.”
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