Newmarket skate park, fitness centre set to reopen with safety measures

Facilities have been closed during pandemic

Yorkregion.com
August 18, 2020
Lisa Queen

Two Newmarket recreation spots will soon be reopening.

On Aug. 18, scooters, skateboards and roller blades will be welcomed back at the Recreation Youth Centre and Sk8 Park at 56 Charles St.

The facility offers 10,000 square feet of ledges, stairs, rails, gaps, boxes, banks, custom ramps, a wall ride with five feet of vertical and a 32-foot wide mini-ramp.

On Aug. 26, the Magna Fitness Centre will reopen.

Both spaces have been modified and new steps are in place to help ensure members’ safety, the town said in a statement.

The skate park will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 1 to 7:30 p.m. for open skate sessions (no rentals or lessons).

All participants are encouraged to pre-register for their preferred time slot at play.newmarket.ca. There will be limited spots available for walk-ins.

Capacity has been limited to 15 riders per time slot and the gymnasium and games areas will not be open to the public. Youth can ride free of charge until further notice.

For more information, visit newmarket.ca/youth.

The fitness centre has been relocated within the Magna Centre to the Honda Rink to ensure physical distancing can be achieved.

Members will be required to pre-register for a workout time slot, which will also facilitate contact tracing.

Since the start of the pandemic, the town placed all memberships on hold. Payments will resume starting in September at a discounted rate for the month of September in recognition of the limited services offered in order to adhere to safety requirements.

Users can also extend holds on their memberships if they prefer. Requests must be received by Aug. 30 in order to continue your hold and can be held for a maximum of four months. Send requests by email to fitness@newmarket.ca.

The town is waiving the usual $10 charge to hold or cancel memberships. Otherwise, your payment will be on your regular scheduled day of the month.

Meanwhile, one ice pad at the Magna Centre is open and available only for rental. Participants enter and exit from a controlled designated area and are subject to health screening protocols.

For the most up-to-date information on what’s open and closed, visit newmarket.ca/reopen.