Pool closures making training difficult for 2 N.L. swim clubs

Two Newfoundland and Labradorswim clubs are finding it hard to stay afloat, as provincially operatedpools haven't been opensince March, when they were forced to closeat the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Corner Brook Rapids Swim Club andGander Lakers Swim Club are still without pools to train in, while other municipal pools around the province were permitted to reopen June 25 when Newfoundland and Labrador moved to Alert Level 2 of its reopening plan.

"We expected to just start again. We had a plan put in place that complied with Swimming Canada, their requirements. So we thought we were going to start right away,"Rebecca Redmond-MacLean, president of the Gander Lakers swim club, told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.

The Gander swim club has 55 competitive and pre-competitive members. This summer, 35 are on board to return to the pool. Redmond-MacLean said that group was then split into two separate groups to comply with public health orders.

In Corner Brook, about 70 swimmers hope to get their feet wet this season.

Andrew Burke, president of the Corner Brook Rapids Swim Club, said his group is still waiting on the provincial government's regulations before the pool can open.

What's more, Burke said the required personal protective equipment for staffhadyet to arrive as of Thursday.

"We started the conversation about Alert Level 2 back in June, and now we're at the beginning of August. It takes time to plan, I appreciate that, and I'm sure our executive appreciates that as well," Burke said.

"We expected a little delay, but we didn't expect a month or more."

In a statement to CBC News on Friday, the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development said it has worked with the Department of Health and Community Services to develop guidelines fortowns and pool operators to open indoor pools, but is still working toward reopeninggovernment-operated pools this month. An exact date was not provided.

"CSSD has been working to ensure that all required COVID-19 safety protocols and personal protective equipment (PPE) are in place. The specialized PPE has been purchased and it is anticipated it will be delivered next week. Upon delivery staff will undergo training in its use so the Gander and Corner Brook pools can then safely reopen," the government statement reads.

"CSSD ensured that the annual maintenance of the pools in Corner Brook and Gander was completed when the pools had to close due to the pandemic, to ensure this did not impede reopening."

Some progress

Burke said news of the arrival of the required protective equipment is encouraging, and will stop his club in Corner Brook from having to travel to Deer Lake about 50 kilometres away to rent the town's pool at anextra cost.

"I certainly hope that that's the case. I've been back and forth for weeks with the pool trying to get the MHAs engaged with the issue," said Burke.

"I sent a letter July 22 to the department as well as our local MHAshere, and not until we started our Twitter campaign on Wednesday did we receive a response."

Redmond-MacLeansaid she's happy to hear things are progressing toward a reopening of her club's pool. Her organization's athletes have had to get creative this season by staying in shape with dry-land training, open-water swimming at community ponds and resistance training in some backyard pools.

"Our local pool and our facility manager has been phenomenal with us during this shutdown. She's ensured that all of the maintenance that would normally cause the pool to shut down was actually done while the pool was closed due to COVID," she said.

"So that means when the PPE is available and the training is done then we'll be able to get smoothly back in the pool."

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