(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Back on the ice

Art Hauser Centre to open Aug. 10

Jul 15, 2020 | 5:21 PM

Hockey camps scheduled to begin Aug. 10 at the Art Hauser Centre will go ahead as planned.

The city announced on Wednesday the ice plant at the Art Hauser would begin running the week of July 27 in preparation for the season.

“I know a lot of kids and families are registered for these camps,” director of community services Jody Boulet told paNOW. “So I think they’re going to be pleased to hear that they can get back on the ice and enjoy the sport that they love.”

Ice will be available to rent after Aug. 10, the city said in a media release.

The Kinsmen and Steuart arenas are expected to open at a later date.

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Boulet explained the Kinsmen Arena normally opens following Labour Day weekend, while the Steuart Arena is operational by October.

In a worst-case scenario where the return of league play is delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the city will centralize bookings from teams and user groups at the Art Hauser Centre.

“We’ll focus all of those ice times at the Art Hauser Centre until we get the go-ahead to resume league play,” Boulet explained. “Which then will result in further demand to open the other arenas.”

Boulet said regardless of decisions that come from the province about what the hockey season will look like this year, the city is in a good position to accomodate the needs of local teams.

“[It] gives them some comfort to develop their plans around the certainty that the facility is going to be available,” he explained.

Meanwhile Boulet said demand at the Kinsmen Waterpark which opened on Friday has been strong. The city announced last week that individual bookings will be allowed in addition to group bookings.

The city is also in talks to reopen the Frank J. Dunn pool in the fall.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom