After months of anticipation, the pools at the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre reopened this week.

Monday, March 22, 2021, marked the first day that local residents have been able to utilize the pools in town, however, with the province's decision to delay a move to step 3, pool services are still limited.

SLS Family Sports Centre's Aquatics Manager, DJ Ulriksen says that the staff's main priority is to provide as many opportunities as possible while adhering to provincial COVID guidelines.

Social distancing and yes, even mask-wearing are some of the pool guidelines in place. Ulriksen says that with the exception of youth under the age of 18 and one-on-one supervised training for adults, the pools are limited to low-intensity programming with heads above the water.

"We're operating kind of the same as what the youth sports restrictions are," says Ulriksen. "So groups of 10, they're always three metres distanced, there's three metres distance between each class happening in the pool, they're parented right now and masks are required for all participants over 18."

While kids aren't required to wear face masks during their lessons, the accompanying parent does need to wear one. All youth no matter their age must have a parent in the pool with them at all times.

In a letter from CEO, Blair Felesky earlier this week he acknowledged that wearing a mask in a pool may seem less than ideal and he says that is "subject to change." 

Representatives from the sports centre have also stated that these policies have been put in place with direction from Alberta Health Services (AHS).

"This is an AHS mandate. Not SLS Family Sports Centre's." The representatives go on to say that AHS "guidelines have changed dramatically since their September 2020 document was released."

The updated health order can be viewed here.

In terms of the Adult programming available at Spray Lakes, Ulriksen says that there are some low-intensity fitness options available.

"We have our fitness and wellness classes so those are things like aquafit," says Ulriksen. "In our warm water therapy pool, we have warm water stretching, healing movement, noodle-itis, all of those are instructor-led."

If you were hoping to get your laps in, that won't be happening at this time. Lane swims are listed as high-intensity and aren't permitted in step two. 

"What we offer in our lap pool is water exercise," says Ulriksen. "Anything that you can do with low-intensity, your head's above the water, you have a mask on at all times; so let's say kicking with a flutterboard, treading water, water walking that sort of thing."

Families are able to book 'household splash' times in the leisure pool. This allows up to 10 people from the same household to have the pool to themselves for 30 minutes. Since this activity is limited to a family cohort, masks aren't required while you're in the pool. 

Household splash is free for members and $25 for non-members. Use of the hot tub is also open during your reservation, with a 10-minute time limit, subject to capacity.