Saskatoon's indoor leisure centres await green light to reopen

Saskatchewan gyms and fitness centres will be back in business soon (with some restrictions) under the provincial government's Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, but Saskatoon's six indoor leisure centres remain in "sleep mode."

"Shortly after we shut down the maintenance staff had gone in and done a thorough clean of all spaces and places within there," said Lynne Lacroix, Saskatoon's manager of community services. "Now we've set the building systems just to maintain mode and the staff just regularly checking in to make sure all is well."

Our leisure centres have, since the day they opened, been a balance of user pay and taxpayer supported.- Lynne Lacroix 

Leisure centre staff are staying busy formulating plans for what an eventual reopening might look like, but there's no telling when that might happen. The province lists a reopening of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities in Phase 4 of the reopening plan, for which there is no set date. 

No silver lining of savings 

Placing the leisure centres in "sleep mode" does not mean taxpayers will save money. Lacroix said that much like public transit, the leisure centres are considered essential to the quality of life in Saskatoon and they've never been fully funded by the people who use them. 

"Our leisure centres have, since the day they opened, been a balance of both user pay and taxpayer supported."

Lacroix said the shutdown has resulted in lower operating costs, but at the same time the city is losing out on all the money it collects from people who use the leisure centres. Lacroix could not say exactly how much the losses will be. 

Beat the heat?

In case you were wondering, Lacroix said the indoor pools are still full — with the exception of the Shaw Centre, where maintenance is being done — because it did not make sense to drain them. It's a bit of trivia that might also raise an important question as summer heat approaches.  

"We're going to look really long and hard at our plan with outdoor pools," answered Lacroix. "We may not be opening outdoor pools at all this season."

Much depends on timing.

Lacroix said that if Phase 4 of the reopening plan doesn't come until mid-July, the city may not have the time and resources needed to get its leisure centres and outdoor pools ready.