(Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

SPRAY PARKS ARE OPEN

WATCH: Water recreation returns in Kamloops with spray park re-opening

Jun 22, 2020 | 4:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — With physical distancing in mind, a summer staple for Kamloops residents is back up and running — as the city’s spray parks have re-opened for the season.

City of Kamloops Aquatics Program Supervisor Andrew Smeaton says the spray parks are now operational at Riverside Park, Albert McGowan Park, McDonald Park, and Westsyde Centennial Park.

“It’s all based off of the physical distancing recommendations. So that’s just to maintain your two metres or six feet. So lots of those spray pads; the features are pretty spaced out, so it’s mostly up to parents to make sure their kids are maintaining distancing when they’re using them.”

With the new guidelines, parents are asked to keep a close eye on their kids, keep a safe distance from others, and wash their hands after using the parks.

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The City will have more details next week around when swimming pools can begin to re-open, and when that happens, Smeaton says Brock outdoor pool is first on the list.

“There are still occupancy limits because it is a monitored facility. So the occupancy limit for Brock Pool is 108 people for the deck, which is a large number for the deck but there is a lot of space there,” he explains. “In the water, we can have 16 people in the tots pool that we have there, and we can have 24 people swimming laps or playing in the big pool.”

Part of the prep work for this includes making sure the city lifeguards are prepared with new training.

“Obviously, if someone starts to have a drowning situation then we need to get in there and rescue someone, and you can’t follow social distancing when you’re doing that,” notes Smeaton. “So it’s about getting all of our procedures, and PPE in place to be able to rescue people during this time.”

As facilities start to become available to the public, the city reminds residents to continue keeping their distance when they venture out for recreation time.