Here's how Regina pools, recreation centres are handling reopening

Sask. rec facilities gear to re-open WATCH: One Regina hotel is happy to re-open its pool after the province lifted some COVID-19 restrictions. Marc Smith explains.

REGINA — There’s more activities for Saskatchewan families to enjoy this week as the province continues with phase four, part two of its reopen plan.

Indoor pools, rinks, sports and activities were all allowed to open on Monday.

"We had people lined up at the door, first thing at 9 a.m., about four families were standing there, just raring to go," Atlas Hotel Chief Experience Officer Ryan Urzada said.

The Atlas Hotel lost more than 90 per cent of its business during the COVID-19 shutdown as it went from 180 guests per night to 2-3 for months.

While the hotel has been open, being able to add the Soaked Water Park back into the mix is a big boost.

"With each stage of the reopen plan, we’ve seen an increase in occupancy, as soon as indoor water parks and pools were announced last week, we started to get calls right away," Urzada said.

The Atlas took a lot of the lessons its learned over the past four months dealing with running a hotel during a pandemic and applied them to opening the water park.

Physical distancing is being encouraged through signage in the park and cleaning is constant.

"We literally have a full-time staff member who’s job it is to do a full circle of cleaning around the water park and as soon as they finish, they just go and do it all over again," Urzada said.

Urzada adds the hotel is taking bookings for anyone looking for a "staycation" during the pandemic and the water park is also available for bookings.

CITY OF REGINA POOLS SET TO OPEN THIS WEEK

You will also be able to swim again at two City of Regina pools soon.

The Northwest Leisure Centre opens on Wednesday, followed by the Lawson Aquatic Centre next Monday.

Health screening and hand sanitizer upon entering the facility will be a new normal. The facilities will also have reduced capacity.

"All activities will be registered, so everything from lane swimming to leisure swim, activities that people are used to dropping in for, we are doing registered and that’s to ensure that we’re maintaining that social distancing," Bobbie Selinger with the City of Regina said.

"Our strength and conditioning will be one-hour blocks, our leisure swim times will be longer, so we’ve tried to customize it based on how long people might potentially want to do the activity."

Registration for swimming at the Northwest Leisure Centre starts on Tuesday and you can register for times at the Lawson Aquatic Centre starting on Friday.

Residents will also be able to pay online when registering and contactless payment is encouraged at the facilities as well.

Limited swimming lessons will be offered at the city pools this summer as well.

"We do need to maintain six-feet of distance between the instructor and the person, but what you’ll see is some really innovative programs," Selinger said.

"We’re going to be offering a family swimming lesson."

More details on the swimming lessons will be released on Wednesday.

NEW LOOK AT COOPERATORS CENTRE FOR REOPEN

Hockey players and figure skaters were back on the ice at the Cooperators Centre on Monday after months away from the rink.

"I was pretty excited to finally get back, I’ve been off for so many months," Figure skater Tristan Taylor said.

As with other activities, hitting the ice looks different as well with rinks able to open up again Monday.

Players are asked to arrive in their gear and chairs have been set up outside the rinks, six-feet apart, to put on skates and helmets before heading out onto the ice.

"We’re just looking to limit that time and the ability to congregate," Tyson Brinkworth with Evraz Place said. "There’s multiple arenas, so there’s always people coming and going, so it’s really important to monitor that traffic flow."

The chairs and high touch areas are being cleaned after each ice time.

The Cooperators Centre is still working out how to accommodate spectators into the facility, so for the time being, it’s players and coaches only.