Brampton bringing more outdoor amenities to help fight the Omicron blues
Published January 5, 2022 at 11:11 am
With new COVID-19 restrictions shuttering Brampton’s indoor recreational facilities, the city is looking to add more outdoor amenities to help keep residents healthy and happy.
As of Wednesday (Jan. 5), all indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities including gyms are closed, while outdoor facilities are permitted to operate with restrictions and spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity.
Mayor Patrick Brown said Brampton is planning to extend hours at all city-run rinks, and the city has purchased four new artificial ice rinks equipped with chillers to help keep ice in good condition.
Visit www.brampton.ca/outdoorskating for updates to outdoor skating guidelines and outdoor rink operational status prior to their visit.
The city will also be performing winter maintenance on outdoor trails and clearing the snow from its 100 outdoor sports fields.
Brown said the city will also be launching a backyard rink competition for residents, not unlike Brampton’s pandemic backyard gardening competition.
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“Very few people have the luxury of having recreation amenities in their own homes – many residents don’t even have a back yard, and these public spaces are for the good of the entire city,” Brown said on Wednesday.
Mount Chinguacousy drop-in skiing, snowboarding and tubing is also tentatively scheduled to open on January 14, weather and snow conditions permitting. Visit www.brampton.ca/mountching for more details.
Brown has been outspoken about the benefits of staying active during the pandemic, both for physical health and mental health.
As Brampton students return to online learning as part of the new coronavirus measures on Wednesday, Brown urged residents to take advantage of the many mental health resources available.
Brown said many parents are feeling “exhausted and disappointed with yet another school closure,” and he encouraged parents, students, and anyone struggling with mental health issues to take advantage of community supports.
You can visit letsconnectbrampton.ca for information on mental health services available in Brampton and the Region of Peel click here.
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