If COVID closures have had you missing the sweat of an early-morning boot camp or brought your downward facing dog to heel, North Shore recreation departments have good news: they’re back, albeit in a limited form.
In March, recreation departments in both North Vancouver and West Vancouver closed recreation centres and announced cancellation of most summer programs in response to the coronavirus threat.
But recently, rec departments have slowly opened up again and have started running outdoor fitness programs as well as a limited number of outdoor day camps for kids. This week West Vancouver has also reopened its weight rooms at community centres for pre-booked time slots.
The reopening of recreation programs in West Vancouver has in part been a response to a recent community survey, said Donna Powers, spokeswoman for the district.
A record number of over 3,400 responses showed strong support for restarting programs like group fitness classes and yoga in outdoor settings. There was also strong support for children’s programs held outdoors.
Since then, the rec department has started running outdoor fitness classes, including spin cycle classes, pickleball and yoga. A limited number of outside summer day camps for kids involving tennis, art, beaches and forest exploration have also been operating. Those have been fully booked, said Powers.
This week West Vancouver also opened for the first time its indoor weight rooms at both the West Vancouver Community Centre and the Gleneagles Community Centre. Those wanting to use the weight room have to pre-register for a one-hour time slot, with time in between for cleaning.
Powers said it’s possible recreation programs will expand in the coming weeks, but that depends on a number of factors. “It’s very much an ‘it depends’ situation,” she said. “Is it something we can do safely? Is it economically feasible? Can we get staff to do it?”
Many of the part-time and contract staff who deliver recreation programs were laid off at the beginning of the pandemic when those programs were cancelled. Getting those staff back isn’t always simple, said Powers. “People are not necessarily sitting around waiting to come back to their old jobs.”
It’s been a similar situation in North Vancouver, said Anne Rodgers, spokeswoman for the North Vancouver Recreation Commission.
Outdoor programs ranging from fitness classes to yoga to outdoor sketching and family dance programs are being offered, said Rodgers.
A limited number of outdoor day camps for kids, limited to North Vancouver residents, have also been offered. “They filled up instantly,” she said. The rec department is now working on plans to try to expand the number of day camps, she said, as well as planning for possible opening of some indoor recreation facilities.
This week, the North Vancouver Tennis Centre also opened for the first time, for registered programs and court bookings.
Both municipalities are working on plans to hopefully expand recreation programs throughout the summer and into the fall.
For more information on North Van rec programs click here and for West Van click here.
