Parkinson Rec reopens fitness centre

The City of Kelowna has announced that the fitness centre at Parkinson Recreation Centre (PRC) will reopen to existing facility members starting Monday, July 20.

To start, existing members will be asked to pre-book a time slot at the fitness centre online.

The pool area and gymnasium at PRC remain closed at this time.

“We’re excited to welcome back our members to PRC, which will look a bit different since we closed our doors in March,” said Mariko Siggers, community and neighbours services manager. “New safety protocols are in place and we are introducing an online booking system so our members can be assured that even during peak times, the number of guests in our facility will be monitored and capped so proper physical distancing can occur.”

The fitness centre will be open limited hours on Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

One-hour time slots to access the Fitness Centre are bookable online and are currently only available for facility members (monthly or yearly facility pass holders).

In addition to the online booking system, visitors to the facility will notice new safety protocols and guidelines in place:

• The fitness centre will undergo frequent enhanced cleaning including set cleaning hours of
  10-11 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. daily.
• During cleaning hours, the fitness centre will be closed.
• Fitness equipment will be intermittently closed off to allow for better physical distancing (every other treadmill available for use) and there will be no sharing of equipment.
• Locker rooms will not be readily available, come dressed and ready to workout. Lockers to store personal items will be available in the fitness centre area only.
• Floor markings and additional signage is posted on-site reminding visitors to maintain distance, wash hands frequently and to wipe down equipment thoroughly before and after use. Anyone who is sick or experiencing symptoms is asked to stay home.

“We appreciate the patience of our members as our reopening plans progress,” said Siggers. “Reopening a complex facility like Parkinson Recreation Centre needs to be done progressively as we implement new guidelines, training and protocols to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers and patrons.”

Timing for the next phase of reopening Parkinson Recreation Centre is still to be determined.