Energy Center to open Tuesday in limited capacity

After a much-anticipated wait, parts of the Cold Lake Energy Centre will be reopening to the public on Tuesday.

Included in the reopening are the Cenovus Energy Wellness Centre, CNRL Walking Track, and access to Booster Juice, which is also opening Tuesday.

The arenas, field house, and the climbing wall will remain closed for now.

Hours of operation hours will be from 6:00am-8:00pm, Monday to Friday, and 8:00am-8:00 on the weekend.

“We’re very excited to be able to start the reopening process,” said Mayor Craig Copeland in a press release.

“It’s not as simple as turning the lights on and opening the doors. We had to ensure that new safety protocols were in place, and that staff were available to return to work.”

Those coming to the Energy Centre are asked to be aware of some new protocols.

Only the west doors (the main entrance) will be open, and everyone entering the building will need to hand sanitize, then check in with the front desk for a quick health screening questionnaire, before proceeding to one of the open locations in the building.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Cold Lake saw over 50 staff see temporary lay-offs, or reassignments to other departments, such as the Golf Course, Marina, and Roads.

The Wellness Centre has several new rules, including a maximum capacity to ensure physical distancing requirements can be met.

Users will need to pre-book their workout timeslots during peak workout times, which can be done by calling within a 24 hour window to 780-639-6405.

Users are encouraged to read through the new regulations prior to arriving, which can be found on www.coldlake.com or on the city’s Facebook page.

The Walking Track will also have a maximum capacity for users, and the middle lane will be blocked off to encourage physical distancing. Strollers will not be available at this time, but users are allowed to bring their own.

Residents are encouraged to keep watch on the city’s social media sites for news on additional facilities as the city continues working toward reopening them.

This includes Cold Lake and District FCSS, which is currently open by appointment only, the Splash Park, which is expected to open next week after staff have finished doing maintenance, and the Baseball Diamonds, which are expected to open next week.

The Slo Pitch diamonds are now open.