Starting in September, many Ajax recreational facilities will be coming back online under the Recreation Phase 1 Reopening Plan.
The plan focus is on opening spaces where demand supports the cost, and taking every precaution to ensure the safety and protection of the community and staff, said a town statement.
Plan Highlights:
Three ice pads (Pads 3 & 4 at the Ajax Community Centre and one at Village Arena) will open Monday, September 14 for ice user groups and public skate.
As of September 14, the Judo Club, Ajax Boxing Club and Ajax Rock Oasis Inc. will offer pre-arranged programs at the Ajax Community Centre. Please contact the organizations directly for program related inquiries.
Facility bookings at select satellite facilities will come back online September 14, including Carruthers Marsh Pavilion, Rotary Park Pavilion, Quaker Meeting House, Hartrick House and Greenwood Discovery Pavilion.
McLean Community Centre fitness facility and the Ajax Community Centre Squash Courts are anticipated to open the first week of October.
Swimming will continue only at Audley Recreation Centre location via online booking.
In advance of the facilities opening, Covid-19 signage and protocols will be installed at all recreation and satellite facilities.
Ajax Town Hall: Town Hall remains open, by appointment-only. To improve the appointment-booking process, the town will be introducing an online system in the fall.
“Since the announcement of Ontario’s Stage 3 of reopening, staff have been working diligently to assess where we have community demand or need for our in-person facilities, and determining an approach to reopen in a cautious, safe way,” said Shane Baker, CAO, Town of Ajax.
After extensive outreach and feedback, it was clear that there is a business case to support every aspect of our Recreation Phase 1 Reopening Plan. However, we want to ensure that we comply with the health and safety protocols advised by Durham Region Public Health so we do not put users at risk. The timeline of our plan allows staff the needed runway to ensure we have the appropriate processes, signage and safety equipment set up and ready to go, and we have staggered opening dates so that there won’t be an influx of users in any facility at once. We look forward to welcoming our community back to our facilities,” he added.
“On behalf of Ajax Council, I am proud of the way our team has handled the reopening of our facilities. Every decision was made with careful consideration of the costs and benefits, to ensure our residents, sports teams and community groups are able to safely return to their routines as soon as possible. I want to thank our team for their diligence and our partners and community for their patience as we navigate this together,” said Mayor Shaun Collier.
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