BOWDEN — The town has taken the ice out of the Igloo arena, making way for dry-land use according to COVID restrictions, Mayor Robb Stuart says.
The facility could still provide the town some revenue in the spring and summer if people rent it for activities like indoor soccer or lacrosse, but those utilizing it would have to follow COVID-19 restrictions.
"That’s sort of your loose decision; it will be available for rent, provided people follow whatever the protocol is at that time,” Stuart said during an interview.
Meanwhile, said Stuart, the town has coped pretty well with the COVID pandemic.
He said town councillors wear face masks during meetings.
Some of the staff are still working from home. Half of them come in one day and half come in another day.
“So there’s two or three people working at the most, rather than five or six. And unless they’re sitting at their desk, (where) they’re isolated, if they have to get up from their desk they have to wear a mask too,” he said.
“I wear a mask when I walk in here and I take it off when I get in the office.”
Stuart said residents wishing to do business in the town office must wear a mask when in the facility. If they don’t want to, they’re not allowed in.
“We actually enforce that. We’re one of the few that do,” he said. “A lot of people say ‘oh, I don’t have to wear a mask’ and (we say) ‘No, you’re not allowed in the town office unless you wear a mask.’”
Stuart said to his knowledge, town staff haven’t had any issues with people who don’t want to wear masks but he’s heard that some businesses in town have had those problems.
