The Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA) has begun upgrades to the recreational facility while the building was shut down due to provincial health guidelines in response to COVID-19.
The Red Arena and the south half of the building are currently under construction as steel beams are being reinforced with steel plates to the roof in many areas.
“There were some structural deficiencies noted in 2019 that needed remediating. The load on the roof was a concern. This issue was mitigated by a snow monitoring process in the winter of 2019-2020 to ensure public safety. However, this program won’t be necessary for the fall once the project is complete,” said the CRCA Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Melinda Lundy.
The CRCA is estimating the upgrades will be completed in the late summer months, or early fall.
“Fortunately, we were able to get started while the facility was closed due to COVID-19 this spring,” Lundy said.
The Red Arena and south portion of the facility will remain closed until the repairs are completed, including the training facility, MPP Room, Whitecappers Centre, and dance studios,” Lundy said.
While the north half of the facility, including the main hall, curling dry pad, meeting rooms, and Blue Arena, will open in early to mid-July, and bookings for the ball diamonds and soccer fields will open on June 15.
“The remainder of the centre requires a more thoughtful approach and will take more time,” Lundy said.
“There are many considerations to put in place to ensure the safety of our staff and our users, and we do not want to rush re-opening,” she said.
Moving forward, the CRCA is committed to following all provincial and municipal orders to ensure the reopening of the facility is done in the safest manner possible for staff and users, including proper staff training, sanitation procedures, social distance markings, and facility scheduling processes.
“We are just as excited to launch into our new routine as you are, however, we must take our time and do it in a way that is safe for our members and staff, and in a way that makes operational sense. We are re-evaluating our prior plans and adjusting our operations much sooner than anticipated. By re-hiring staff and ensuring proper safety protocols are in place, we’ll be able to confidently re-open when the time is right,” Lundy said.
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the CRCA has made the decision not to run any CRCA led recreation programs, such as day camps, until the fall.
The CRCA however still plans to run out of school care in the fall, depending on provincial public health guidelines.
The CRCA business offices will continue to operate off-site, and anyone wanting a site visit, or to book an outdoor field, or indoor facility is encouraged to schedule an appointment by contacting admin@chestermerecrca.com.
“We thank everyone for their continued support and patience during this extraordinary time and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to our facility before you know it,” Lundy said.
“On behalf of the CRCA and our Board of Directors, I’d like to thank the City of Chestermere, Rocky View County, and the Alberta government for their generous support of the CRCA’s building repair initiative,” said the CRCA Manager, Jody Nouwen.
“I would particularly like to thank the City of Chestermere’s Mayor, Marshall Chalmers, and Rocky View County Division 6 Councillor, Reeve Boehlke, for their dedicated support in helping this project progress as successfully as it has. The building will continue to serve our community for years to come and provide the best possible services and recreational activities for all our members and guests,” she said.
Adding, “The CRCA would like to thank and acknowledge the three main funders for this project. The Provincial government through their Community Facility Enhancement Program, the City of Chestermere and Rocky View County. Without their generous contributions this important renovation project would not have been possible.”
