Recreation Department March Newsletter

Welcome to the Town of Arnprior Recreation Department Newsletter for March. This newsletter will be a monthly staple throughout 2022 to keep you informed of programs, events and the many things going on in our Recreation Department and more! We always welcome your input for new programs and events and your feedback about what we are currently offering is always appreciated. Drop us a line at recreation@arnprior.ca. 

COVID PROTOCOL UPDATE

As public health and health care indicators continue to improve, the Ontario Government announced that as of March 1, 2022 the requirements to verify proof of vaccination will be lifted for businesses including sports and recreational facilities. 

While active screening and proof of vaccination will no longer be required to enter the Nick Smith Centre as of March 1, 2022, we remind facility users that the following guidelines remain in place:
- Masking is required at all times while indoors except when engaged in your activity or when seated to eat or drink. 
- Access to hockey dressing rooms remains limited to 20 minutes before and 20 minutes following your ice time.
- Access to pool change rooms remains limited to 10 minutes before and 10 minutes following your swim program. 
- You must complete the passive screening prior to entering the facility. 
- Please follow all posted signage throughout the facility. 

***Please note that for groups that rent the ice, pool or community hall at the Nick Smith Centre, your program operator or association may continue to require proof of vaccination and require you to meet other public health guidelines. You must adhere to any guidelines outlined by your association. 

DATES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR

• March 1: Proof of Vaccination requirement lifted from sports and recreation facilities. 
• March 8: Marina Renewals (Returning Non-Residents)
• March 11-13: Provincial Broomball Championship
• March 14-18: March Break Camp; March Break Swims; March Break Public Skates
• March 21: Spring Programs Viewable Online
• March 22: Marina Rentals (General Public)
• March 28: Spring Program Registration Opens Online (9:30am)
• April 2: Home Alone Training Course by Safety Tree
• April 14: DJ Easter Bunny Skate Party
• April 16: Easter Egg Hunt in the Parks
• April 17-23: Pitch-In Week (Park Clean-Up)
• April 18: Last Day for Winter Ice Season
• April 19: Spring Programming Begins
• April 22: Earth Day
• April 23: Laser Tag Challenge
  
  
• May 14: Babysitting Course by Safety Tree
• May 14: Volunteer Fair
• May 20: PA Day Camp
• May 27: Benjamin Circus comes to the Nick Smith Centre
  
  
• June: Parks and Recreation Month
• June: Seniors Month
• June 4: PRIORPALOOZA
• June 10: Summer Ice Season Begins

PROGRAMMING UPDATE

We have many ways for you to stay active in the pool, on the ice and in the community hall … and even outdoors! Full details of all the programs are available here or sign-in to your online account and click on schedule to view the programs or to register.  

FREE Programs – There are a series of FREE programs for you to enjoy throughout the week. Enjoy some indoor walking with our Walk & Talk Program on Mondays and Fridays from 11am-12pm or enjoy walking the great outdoors with our Snowshoe Adventure Program on Wednesday mornings from 10-11am at the McLean Avenue Ball Diamonds. For Parents with Tots & Seniors enjoy daily skating at the Nick Smith Centre (M/W/F from 1-2pm; Tu/Th from 11:30am-12:30pm).

Lending Hub – While the snow is still around we offer FREE rentals of snowshoes, cross-country ski sets and ice skates and helmets. Email us or call the Nick Smith Centre to sign-out your equipment and enjoy some time in our parks, trails or outdoor rinks. 

Fitness Classes – Session 2 of our popular fitness programs are ready to start up and it's not too late to get in on the action. You can find information and register for Early Morning Strength, Fundamentals of Kayaking, Pilates/Yogalates, and Senior Strength by visiting www.arnprior.ca/registration.  

Home Alone Training Course – We are happy to bring a Home Alone Training Course on April 2 to the Nick Smith Centre followed by a Babysitting Course on May 14. Registration for this program will open shortly so stay tuned for updates.

Laser Tag Challenge – Rally your friends and family and prepare for battle in our Laser Tag Challenge on April 23. We will have the arena slab set up for ages 6+ with time slots allotted for kids, families and adults. Stay tuned for registration details. 

MARCH BREAK UPDATES

March Break Camp - Get ready for a week full of fun activities at the Nick Smith Centre. We have games, programs, and special visits planned to keep your child entertained with their friends in our safe and inclusive camp. Camp runs March 14 -18 from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm for ages 6-11 Kids will swim, skate and embrace a new theme each day.

• Monday – Sport, Body & Mind
• Tuesday – Food & Culture
• Wednesday – First Responders Day
• Thursday – Science & Arts
• Friday – Downtown Adventure Day 

We are currently accepting registration to our wait list as the camp is sold out. If the wait list is filled, an extra group will be added for that week of camp. Visit www.arnprior.ca /registration to join in on the fun. Please contact the Nick Smith Centre (613.623.7301 or recreation@arnprior.ca ) with any questions.

March Break Swims and Skates - We have plenty of public swims and public skates to keep you and the family active throughout the March Break. 

AQUATICS UPDATE

Swimming Lessons – Swimming Lessons were overwhelmingly popular with many sessions selling out in just minutes of registration opening. Due to this winter’s high demand, we will offer lessons on our most popular days; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and have added additional classes! Keep your eye out mid-March to check this out.

Parent & Tot Lessons – Parent and Tot Lessons have a name change. Look for Starfish (4 months-1 year), Duck (ages 1-2) and Sea Turtle (ages 2-3) for our spring session.

Pool Schedule Update – Our spring pool schedule starting Monday, April 4^th, 2022, will be released to the public for preview mid-March. We have made minimal modifications to our pool schedule. Great news, swims will now go back to our normal 1-hour (end 5 minutes prior to the hour) timing instead of 45 minutes! Parent and Tot Swims and Family Swims will both now be referred to as Family Swim, while Leisure Swims and Public Swims will both now be referred to as Public Swim. These name changes will ensure more continuity and inclusivity!

Drop In Costs – Our price increases have been approved by council. Effective Monday, April 4^th, our drop in costs have increased by 0.25 cents.

Pool Capacity – Our pool was running on lower capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. Some swims had a maximum capacity of only 15-30 swimmers. Now that the Ontario government has lifted COVID-19 restrictions in the pool, our pool can now allow up to 190 people in the area. We will be making this transition slowly allowing 20-60 swimmers depending on the program.

ODR UPDATE

While Mother Nature has given us all kinds of different weather these last few weeks, two of our outdoor rinks are still holding on. We hope to have another couple of weeks if the temperatures remain favourable. The Sullivan Rink of Dreams and Caruso Park outdoor rinks are open, however the Village Creek outdoor rink remains closed. Please visit our website for information, status updates and ice conditions on all our outdoor rinks.

PACKERS AND RIVERMEN UPDATE

The Arnprior Packers continue to have a strong regular season and are poised for a lengthy playoff run. After finishing the regular season this past weekend, the West Carleton Rivermen, who now call the Nick Smith Centre their home, open the playoffs this weekend. Visit their respect Facebook pages for information on schedules, ticket prices, news and more.

Arnprior Packers on Facebook | West Carleton Rivermen on Facebook 

ICE RENTALS

Interested in some extra ice time throughout March and April? You can view our ice availability online, anytime. Bert Hall Arena (Arena A) will have ice in until April 18, while the Glenn Arthur Arena (Arena B) will have ice in until April 9. We have some great deals on ice: $85/hour for ice before 8:30am; 30% discount on ice rented within 72 hours; 50% discount on ice rented after 11pm. 

A REMINDER TO BE KIND

We recognize that these are difficult times and that many people are COVID fatigued. We appeal to everyone to embrace the “zero tolerance for violence, aggressive behaviour and/or coarse language” with even greater appreciation. A friendly reminder that the frontline staff do not make the rules, they are there to ensure our collective safe use of the building and all that use them.