Calgary,
23
February
2021
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13:39
America/Denver

City of Calgary renews State of Local Emergency

Health and safety are top priorities for The City of Calgary during this State of Local Emergency as we make decisions on services and programs at our facilities. The City announced today it is renewing the State of Local Emergency for 90 days.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required all levels of government to take rapid action to slow the spread of the virus and protect public health. In some cases, this has included various emergency declarations, and Calgary is no exception.

“On November 25, 2020 we declared a second State of Local Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and today we are renewing that declaration,” said Chief Sue Henry, Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA). “Our case counts are similar to where we were in late October and we are unsure how the variants will impact the case counts.’”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi explained that these powers allow The City to remain responsive to emerging needs, and ensure prompt coordination of action to protect the safety, health, or welfare of Calgarians.

"Staying in a State of Local Emergency allows The City of Calgary to remain agile and help with vaccine distribution in whatever way we can,” said Mayor Nenshi. “While there is light at the end of the tunnel, complacency is not an option. We are in a race against the COVID variants, and it's never been more important to stay vigilant in our actions."

Recreation facility and program re-openings

Since reopening select facilities on February 11 in line with the Province’s “A Path Forward” phased plan for reopening and current public health orders, The City has seen a high demand from sport groups and individuals who are looking to book our facilities for one-on-one sport training with a certified or paid instructor or for minor sport (under 18 years) group training activities.

Based on current user group demand, The City of Calgary is pleased to reopen additional facilities on February 25, 2021 for one-on-one training (with a certified or paid trainer) and minor sport group training activities.

  • Optimist & George Blundun arenas (two ice sheets)
  • Stew Hendry & Henry Viney arenas (two ice sheets)
  • Calgary Soccer Centre (eight indoor artificial turf fields)

Facilities can be booked for one-on-one sport training with a certified or paid trainer, but cannot be booked for games, league play, swim lessons, registered programs, individual workouts, or group exercise.

Limited minor sport (under 18 years) group training activities can be held for up to a maximum of 10 individuals per group including participants, coaches and trainers.

The coach, instructor or trainer must be a professional or certified coach, instructor or trainer, and be paid by the person who is receiving the training.

Calgary Recreation cannot provide trainers or instructors at this time.

All other indoor City-operated recreation amenities, including weight rooms, remain closed at this time.

Indoor public skating, public swimming and group fitness activities are part of later phases of the provincial “A Path Forward” phased plan and are not currently permitted by the Public Health orders.

The decision to reopen these facilities, and any decision to reopen more facilities, is based on a number of factors, including adherence to public health orders, customer demand for one-on-one and limited minor sport (under 18 years) group activities, and re-staffing (recall and hire).

We are in contact with minor sport groups and monitoring the demand for facility bookings, and we will consider reopening additional amenities as needed.

Hours of operation for each facility can be found at calgary.ca/recreation.

City receives federal funding to bolster small business supports

COVID-19 has had a severe impact on businesses of all sizes across the country and on those whose livelihoods depend on them. The City of Calgary partnered with The Government of Canada to take action to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and protect their contributions to the Canadian economy.

The investment of $1,510,000 through Western Economic Diversification Canada will target three components:

  • Calgary’s Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to enable various communities within the city to support business attraction efforts like enhancing public spaces to create safe and appealing environments for visitors and businesses.
  • Expansion of Calgary’s ShopHERE powered by Google initiative to enable small businesses to build online e-commerce storefronts and continue to sell goods and services both locally and beyond. Businesses can visit calgary.ca/ShopHere to register.
  • Chinook Blast winter experience – a multi-weekend walk-through celebration showcasing local arts and culture to revitalize downtown Calgary, Feb. 13-28. Visit ChinookBlast.ca for more information.

Supporting Calgary’s small businesses during the pandemic has been a key focus for The City of Calgary, which includes advocating on behalf of the business community to the provincial and federal governments.

For more information about The City’s response to the pandemic, visit Calgary.ca/COVID19 or call 311.

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