Record Staff
Following announcements by the provincial government on the weekend, the City of Sherbrooke is planning to gradually reopen its public pools, splash pads, beaches, playgrounds, public washrooms, and water fountains over the coming weeks.
According to the information provided by the city, the washrooms have already been reopened in some city parks, with others to follow in the coming days and weeks depending on the activities permitted nearby. Regular cleaning and disinfection schedules have been put in place to keep the facilities as accessible as possible.
Water fountains located near service buildings will also be activated in a progressive rollout this week. Priority is being given to those near or attached to buildings to facilitate cleaning. Citizens are encouraged to bring a portable water bottle with them to the park.
With regard to play equipment, maintenance teams began the process of inspecting playground equipment which has been cordoned off for the last two and a half months on Tuesday. Risk of viral transmission through contact with play equipment has been determined to be low, but the city is still encouraging people to wash their hands before and after using the playground. Physical distancing of two metres also continues to be required at all times.
The city expects to have all splashpads up and running by the end of the week. The water games currently run on a recirculation system that needs to be shut down for sanitary purposes.
As to public pools, the facilities will be open to the public on June 20 following lifeguard training on the week of June 15. New measures to keep swimmers safe will be announced over the next two weeks. Once open, pool hours will be from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. except for the beach pools at St-Alphonse and Centennial parks, which will open at 10:30 in the morning. Beaches, meanwhile, will open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day.
