City plans to reopen programs and facilities, asks for patience

The City of Yellowknife said on Wednesday it is planning to reopen programs, services, and facilities after the NWT government released its Covid-19 pandemic recovery plan.

However, the City said “many factors must be considered” and residents would need to be patient as staff decided how to resume some operations “in a planned and safe manner, as quickly as possible.”

“We are keen to resume programs and services and access to City facilities that have been deeply missed in recent weeks,” said Sheila Bassi-Kellett, the City’s senior administrator, in a news release.

“The City is working to reopen as quickly as possible and thanks residents for your patience as we get this done safely.”

The City had already begun to gradually ease its own restrictions, reopening Yellowknife’s dump for limited hours after closing the facility for a month.

Under the NWT’s plan, the Fieldhouse can be reopened in phase one of recovery – which could kick in as soon as Friday – with certain distancing and health measures in place. Indoor team sports, however, cannot resume until phase two, anticipated in mid-to-late June.

Libraries already have the go-ahead to open with limited entry by appointment only.

The fate of the Multiplex is unclear. Hockey is listed in the NWT’s plan as a sport that cannot resume indoors until all pandemic-related measures are lifted, which is anticipated in 2021 at the earliest.

The Ruth Inch Memorial Pool cannot fully reopen until phase three, once an expected second wave of Covid-19 has been and gone in southern Canada, according to the plan. That is currently forecast for the fall or winter. The pool can, however, reopen on a limited basis for instructor training in phase two.

Meanwhile, the Town of Inuvik said its leadership would “take time to review the newly established regulations and guidelines” before providing more information to residents.

The Town said time was needed to “determine what this will mean for municipal operations moving forward.”