COVID-19 Status Update

June 25, 2020

To aid in resident's understanding of Hinton Emergency Operation Centre, Hinton Town Council, and Town of Hinton Administration responses to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic event, this update gathers recent news into one document. While emergent issues and information will continue to be shared as necessary, weekly updates going forward will use this format to gather, but also distinguish between, actions in place in the community.

Updates Section

This section of our update document will itemize updated information for easy access, while the document overall will continue to repeat relevant sections from previous weeks' updates. Strategic Services considers all information presented below important to our local audiences.

New June 25, 2020

Town Facility Opening Schedule
Government Centre Opening Information
Spray Park, Change Rooms and Washrooms Reopened
ComServ Issue Three Scheduled for Release Tomorrow

Physical Distancing, Provincial Group Restrictions, and Cleaning Practices Must Continue
It is essential that residents and businesses understand that suppression activities, in particular maintaining safe distances, must be maintained.

If not maintained, transmission will rapidly rebound, potentially producing an epidemic comparable in scale to what would have been seen had no interventions been adopted.

The Town, and Province, need your help to continue to restrict your activities in the interest of community health. Distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing is absolutely crucial.

Residents, businesses, and visitors choosing to remain non-compliant on physical distancing or gathering parameters can, and should, anticipate provincial fines being levied directly moving forward.

Events or Gatherings of 100 or more in an outdoor space and 50 or more indoors can, and will, be ticketed under provincial restrictions.
There are exceptions, as listed below.

Hinton Emergency Operations Centre

The Hinton Emergency Operations Centre has concluded it's SOLE. As result, we now operate entirely under the restrictions of the province. As such, this section will now be used to share changes in provincial statuses relevant to the community. This is provided for ease of access - please refer to the Provincial website for up to the minute information.

Phase 2 Now Underway

What can open with restrictions

K-12 schools, for requested diploma exams and summer school, following guidance
Libraries
More surgeries
Wellness services such as massage, acupuncture and reflexology
Personal services (esthetics, cosmetic skin and body treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, facial treatment, artificial tanning)
Indoor recreation, fitness, and sports, including gyms and arenas
Movie theatres and theatres
Community halls
Team sports
Pools for leisure swimming
VLTs in restaurants and bars
Casinos and bingo halls (but not table games)
Instrumental concerts

The 50 per cent capacity limit for provincial campgrounds is also being lifted. Over the coming days, the online reservation system will be updated and sites will come online in phases. By July 1, all camping sites will be open for reservations. First-come, first-served sites may open sooner. Information on additional sites will be added to alberta.parks.ca when they become available.

Events and gatherings can be larger in stage two

Maximum 50 people:

Indoor social gatherings – including wedding and funeral receptions, and birthday parties

Maximum 100 people:

Outdoor events and indoor seated/audience events – including wedding and funeral ceremonies

No cap on the number of people (with public health measures and physical distancing in place):

Worship gatherings
Restaurants, cafés, lounges and bars
Casinos
Bingo halls

There is more flexibility for ‘cohort’ groups – small groups of people whose members do not always keep two metres apart:

A household can increase its close interactions with other households to a maximum of 15 people
Performers can have a cohort of up to 50 people (cast members or performers)
Sports teams can play in region-only cohorts of up to 50 players (mini leagues)
People could be part of a sports/performing and household cohort
Everyone is encouraged to follow public health guidelines and notify others in the cohort(s) if they have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. If they do test positive or have symptoms, mandatory isolation is required.

Still not approved in stage two

Social gatherings that exceed above listed maximums
Regular in-school classes for kindergarten to Grade 12. Classes will resume September 2020
Vocal concerts (as singing carries a higher risk of transmission)
Major festivals and concerts, large conferences, trade shows and events (as these are non-seated social events and/or vocal concerts)
Nightclubs
Amusement parks
Hookah lounges (permitted for food and drink only)
Major sporting events and tournaments
Non-essential travel outside the province is not recommended. This recommendation will not be lifted until stage three of the relaunch strategy.

The success of stage two will determine when Alberta progresses to stage three. Factors are active cases, health-care system capacity, hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) cases, and infection rates.

For more information, visit alberta.ca/RelaunchStrategy.

For residents ease, please find images representing the above, below.

Using Outdoor Spaces

Sharing the path
People of all ages and mobility enjoy the outdoor paths. Please be considerate and aware of all path users.

All cyclists should be using their bell when passing others on the paths. When you are approaching someone, ring your bell, slowdown, and pass off path when safe to do so.
If you are using the paths and you hear a bell, please slow down, look around, and move off path if you need to.

Runners please allow enough room to safely pass others.

Hinton Town Council

The most recent Meeting of Town Council was June 16, 2020. A weighty agenda saw a public hearing on Land Use Bylaw 1088, RCMP Annual Report, Land Use Bylaw Amendment 1088-4, Safety Codes Permit Bylaw, Development Services Fees, HR policies, Regional Assessment Review Board Appointments, and approval of the action pending list all come for discussion. View the briefs here. It was streamed live via youtube at Hinton.ca/CouncilLive.

Council meetings are closed to the public and occurring via teleconferencing. However, they are being live streamed via Youtube to allow residents to remain engaged in the democratic process in this pandemic event.

Town of Hinton Administration

Facility Reopening Plans

The Town of Hinton is currently working to bring our facilities back to being able to accept customers in person once again. Please view the information below, also presented in the image below, for our most recent update. Please note, for further information on timelines in the community services area, please refer to the coming edition of ComServ (more information below).

Government Centre

Following successful tests over the last two weeks, Government Centre will now return to being open Monday to Friday 8 AM - 4 PM, effective June 29, 2020. Please view information below on some of the new ways to do business at this location.

Spray Park, Spray Park Washroom and Change Rooms

Town of Hinton Parks, in close cooperation with Maintenance, Staff have completed drafting procedures and acquiring needed supplies to reopen the Spray Park Bathroom Facilities, effective tomorrow (June 26, 2020). The Rotary Play and Spray Park opened last weekend, June 20th. Come for a fun splash and please mind that:

The washrooms and change rooms are open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 6 PM effective tomorrow (June 26, 2020)
Sun safety is important so please take adequate precautions

All Outhouses
(Bike Park / Mary Reimer sports fields / Maxwell Lake/ Lions Park / Erith Park)
Scheduled Reopening: June 27, 2020

Tennis Courts/Pickle Ball Courts
All Outdoor Tennis and Pickle Ball courts at Gerard Redmond and Harry Collinge High School are open and ready for use.

Protective Services (RCMP) Building
Tentative date of July 6, 2020 targeted for reopening.

Infrastructure Services Building
Tentative opening date of July 7, 2020.

Emergency Services Building (Fire Hall/Bylaw Offices)
Tentative date of July 13, 2020 targeted for reopening.

Hinton Municipal Library

The Library may be open to the public in July with limited access and services. More information will be posted on our social media channels. The Library will expand operating hours (10:00 AM – 5:30 PM), with no weekends over the summer. In phase 2, the Library may allow patrons access to the following services:

In-person services may include curbside service and delivery, and in lobby pickups by appointment only.
Exam proctoring by appointment only.
Using public computers for scheduled limited amounts of time by appointments only.

Public Washroom Facilities/Porta-Potties
(Mary Reimer Park, Kinsmen Park)
(Athabasca Riverfront Park)
Targeted for completion in July, 2020

Courts/Other Indoor Facilities

(bookings and facility use available tentative date: mid July)

Pool
(pool opening tentative date: mid August)

Annual Pool shutdown work activities scheduled for September 2020 are taking place now (no regular fall shutdown required) The maintenance department is now finishing off the main pool tile grouting – redo of the main basin seam / hot tub pipe testing / refurbishing of boilers and filter systems.

Arenas
(ice available tentative date: late August)
We are planning to have the floor available in the second half of July for drop-in activities that we can allow under provincial restrictions, such as Pickle Ball.

Youth Centre
The Hinton Youth Centre is currently closed due to COVID-19, but we are looking forward to reopening with the start of the new school year in fall!

The West Fraser Guild

Reduced Hours Tentative: July 6 , 2020
Full Opening Tentative: August 4, 2020

Spray Park, Washrooms, and Change Rooms Reopened

The Town of Hinton was pleased to announce the reopening of the Rotary Play and Spray Park on June 20, 2020!

As a reminder, please review the below important facts about the Spray Park!

For everyone’s safety ensure you are staying up to date on all developments related to COVID-19 at www.hinton.ca/COVID.
Frequent and proper hand hygiene is advised at all times. It is recommended you bring your own alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Visitors should not use the park if they are exhibiting any COVID-19 related symptoms that are not related to prior existing illness or health condition. For self-assessment visit https://myhealth.alberta.ca/journey/covid-19/Pages/COVID-Self-Assessment.aspx or call 811.
Please advise that masks should not be worn while playing in spray features as they present a safety risk.
There should be no more than the Alberta Health Services maximum number of people for outdoor gatherings at any point.
Don’t forget to stay sun safe! Bring along sunscreen, hats, sun shirts and don’t forget to stay hydrated!
Dogs are not permitted in the spray park area in order to limit the amount of hair and other animal products in the filtering system.

Town of Hinton Parks, in close cooperation with Maintenance, Staff have completed drafting procedures and acquiring needed supplies to reopen the Spray Park Bathroom Facilities, effective tomorrow (June 26, 2020). The washrooms and change rooms are open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 6 PM effective tomorrow.

Please call 780-865-2634 to report any vandalism or maintenance concern.

Stay Safe & Have Fun!

Government Centre Reopening

While the facility is opening to the public in the new week, The Town of Hinton wishes to remind residents and visitors wishing to do business with the Town of the following options for remote access, as well as reminders for some of the new ways we are doing business.

Payments
During this time, the Town of Hinton is continuing to recommend utilizing our Corporate Services online payment taking ability; find online forms for Business Licenses and Animal Licenses at the links provided. OptionPay is now available for Credit Card payments in many areas, including permits and taxes. The Town of Hinton is asking that residents refrain from cash payments wherever possible.

Scheduled Meetings
While any meetings with Town of Hinton employees are continued to be encouraged to move to online or email based communications, tt is also asked that meetings with staff members be arranged in advance. Where meetings are necessary, meetings will occur in the public sides (i.e. Committee Room, Council Chambers, Mayor Office, or Interview Room) of the building.

Council Meetings
Hinton Town Council meetings will continue to be held via zoom and livestreaming until further notice. View the stream on Youtube via Hinton.ca/CouncilLive. Check the Town of Hinton Meetings and Events calendar for links and schedule.

Comserv Issue 3 Scheduled for Release Tomorrow

To aid is residents understanding of all of community services current status, plans, and programming, ComServ, a newsletter from Community Services and Strategic Services at the the Town of Hinton, will be issued every other week on Friday mornings continuing tomorrow (June 26, 2020). During the pandemic, the newsletter will be issued through both it's own channel and this (News and Announcements) channel. The newsletter may also be subscribed to directly via NotifyMe, available here, or viewed online at Hinton.ca/ComServ.

Explore Hinton

The Town of Hinton is pleased to announce the launch of Explore Hinton, a new initiative of the Hinton Chamber of Commerce and Town of Hinton Economic Development to host a thorough, beautiful, and helpful resource for tourists, newcomers, and long time residents alike. The website went live to the public last weekend.

Explore Hinton represents the current combined efforts of the Town and Chamber, but it's built on the work that came before, drawing from the DAN-R project, ANRTA, Visitor Guides, and Hinton First, unifying many of these pursuits and ideas into one shared asset for our community.

The site currently hosts content detailing the basics of Hinton, a brief look at our area history, flora and fauna, accomodations, services, and things to do and discover in our community. The website will continue to expand as time goes on, and although the site is still in construction, we want our residents to be able to see what we've developed so far. We appreciate feedback as this site continues to grow, and if you have something you'd like to say on the project you can email the Hinton Chamber of Commerce with your comments.

Learn More

Town of Hinton Previous Update (April 09, 2020)
Town of Hinton COVID Webpage
Town of Hinton Defer Webpage
Town of Hinton SOLE Webpage
Province of Alberta COVID Webpage
Province of Alberta - Emergency Management Act
Government of Canada COVID Webpage
World Health Organization COVID Website

Questions

Residents with questions are asked to contact info@hinton.ca. Responses may be delayed due to EOC needs.

Members of local media with questions are asked to use the Public Information Officer contact information by clicking here or call 780-865-6001 and leave a message. Messages regarding PIO response will be returned within one business day.