ComServ Issue #7 Now Available

ComServ is the Community Services Status Guide, a new product of Community Services and Strategic Services at the Town of Hinton to provide an all encompassing update on our Pandemic Status.

PARKS RECREATION AND CULTURE

DR DUNCAN MURRAY RECREATION CENTRE

The opening of your Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre is ongoing. We are happy to see you come in again to enjoy more and more recreational services.

COURTS/OTHER INDOOR FACILITIES
Courts 1, 2, & 4 and Meeting Room available for public use
Bouldering Wall remains closed until safety measures are in place. The required and continuous cleaning of the holds on the wall is our main concern in ensuring the safety of all users. We continue to investigate industry standards and new developments.

Peoples Centre will open and be available as of August 24

Peoples Centre Pandemic Guidelines

All customers must:

Sign in and use hand sanitizer at Customer Service desk
- Sign in includes screening questionnaire
Customers are not to enter the building if they show any symptoms as defined by Alberta Health Services
Abide by the 2-meter physical distancing requirements
- Room Occupancy limit is set at 16 individuals
Follow Alberta Health Services guidelines when serving food or doing crafts
- All food items, beverages, condiments, utensils, and crafts items cannot be shared
  - It is recommended customers use tablecloths on tables when activity involves food or crafts
Maintain hand washing and sanitizing
If utilizing tables and chairs, leave them set up to allow for proper disinfecting

Please call the Customer Service desk (865-4412) or Kayla Carson (865-6028) for all items related to bookings and reservations.

OPERATING HOURS:

Weekdays: (August 24 – August 31) 9:00am to 7:00 pm
(Effective September 2) 9:00am to 9:00 pm
Closed: August 29/August 30, Monday September 7 (Labour Day)

TAKE NOTE THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE

Customers will be required to sign in at Customer Service
- Day Care customers will be welcomed and signed in by Day Care staff separately
Users are required to arrive dressed for their activity and bring own Equipment
- Rental equipment will not be available at this phase
Meeting Room accommodates a maximum of 11 occupants
- We ask customers to call and book whenever possible
Customers wishing to meet with staff are asked to call ahead and book an appointment during public hours
There will be no access to the photocopy room, ATM, vending machines, coin lockers, court lockers, Foyer furniture and courtesy phone
- Copy service will be available through Customer Service only at this phase
Washrooms will be available to Rec Centre customers
- All other public can use the spray park washrooms, as access to the Recreation Centre is still limited at this time
Customers are asked to pay by debit or credit whenever possible to lessen cash transactions

ARENAS

The Arena staff team has prepared one ice floor (in the Steve Hotchkiss Arena)
Hinton Minor Hockey Association (HMHA) is hosting their hockey camp from Monday August 24 till Friday 28
September 1 – start of ice use by user groups only
There is no public ice use available at this time, details to be announced
The second ice sheet (in the Bill Thomson Arena) is being built at this time. As result, concrete floor is no longer available for other usage such as PickleBall

Both public use and ice user group programming will be phased in with COVID restrictions in place. Staff plan to consult with the user groups to organize ice seasons and start ups.

For Rental Inquiries contact customer Service at 780-865-4412.

Regular admission and rental fees apply.

POOL
The extended repairs required on our change room air handling system are ongoing. Planned opening of the pool remains mid September.

During the annual pool maintenance shutdown it was discovered that a heat exchanger had failed and required replacement. The [exchanger] part was ordered and delivery is expected soon. The part will be replaced once delivered to Hinton.

Preparations for the installation are currently taking place in advance of delivery. Work is expected to be completed by mid-September barring any unforeseen issues.

For more information on our current shutdown maintenance activities and what we do to ensure your and our safety, please visit the 2020 Pool Shutdown page on our
Town website at Hinton.ca/PoolShutdown

The Aquatic Supervisor and Head Guard are getting ready for Phased opening and implementing the Alberta Health, Lifesaving Society and Town of hinton regulations.

OPENING OF THE AQUATIC FACILITY WILL OCCUR IN PHASES

Phase 1 - Pool:

planned to begin mid September
consists of Lane Swim, Aqua fitness classes, Family Swim and Private Lessons
information regarding safety measures and restrictions plus the schedule and registration for private lessons will follow in coming weeks
Private lessons will commence during Aquatics Phase 1
To add your name to the call back list please contact the Aquatic Supervisor at 780-740-8063
During Phase 1 swimmers will be required to reserve their spots online or over the phone

RESERVATION PROCEDURE FOR SWIMMING

Lane Swim

6 spots available to de reserved in 30-minute increments
Families and cohorts are encouraged to share lanes.

Aqua fitness

16 SHALLOW end spots will be available for reservation, and an additional 16 DEEP end spots will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis

Family Swim

32 spots will be available for reservation
Each swimmer must reserve a spot individually

The Hot Tub, Steam Room and Play Pool will remain closed during the aquatic phase 1. Public Swims and Group lessons (including registration) to begin during later phases.

Visitors will notice that all Lifeguards will now be required to wear masks while guarding on deck. This is to ensure their safety while still allowing to actively engage with swimmers of our facility. Activities such as staff training and basin fill (water balancing) can be seen closer to opening in preparation of opening while the last installation work of the new HVAC component is being completed.

PARKS, OPEN SPACES & TRAILS

Parks crew continues to deliver all Parks services
Please note that bringing in our Arena/Parks Staff to start up the indoor ice season does have impact on the level of our outdoor Parks services
We are anticipating approval in the upcoming weeks to do maintenance on the boardwalk in certain areas
Work on removing the final section of the old Maxwell Lake bridge is taking place shortly
Work on our municipal playground next to the Gerard Redmond Catholic School has started with the removal of the old play structure that will be replaced during upgrades in the upcoming months
If you have any observations, requests or concerns you want to share, please use the myHinton App 24/7 and follow the directions for your submission.
- You can also contact our department by phone during office hours (780-865-2634)

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Event Coordination Support

Community delivered events support and full equipment rentals are again available.
Please connect with Don Engerdahl, Events Coordinator (780-865-6055) for all your event needs.
Don is a great resource to all event organizers with questions related to safely plan their activities under up-to-date COVID restrictions.

Please respect physical distancing on our boardwalk, trails and in our parks
to help keep the areas open for all to enjoy.

SEASONAL FACILITIES OPEN FOR USE
Please respect physical distancing and practice good personal hygiene

Town-owned and operated outhouses
The washroom facility at Mary Reimer Regional Park (MRRP) will open when user group activity demands warrant the additional operational requirements.
The outhouses at MRRP are open 24/7.
The washrooms at Kinsmen Park will open soon.
All Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball courts
Athabasca Riverfront Park

The Rotary Play and Spray Park is Open!
Washrooms and change rooms are open 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm

We have seen huge numbers of visitors to the Spray Park due to the nice weather!

Staff are evaluating options to safely extend our opening hours in the early evenings.

Sun safety is important so please take adequate precautions

Due to recent vandalism we cannot ensure that there is continuous supply of sunscreen

THE HINTON MUNICIPAL LIBRARY

MODIFIED HOURS
Chat with library staff in real time, Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 5:30pm. To chat visit hintonlibrary.org/chat.

LIVE CHAT
Visit hintonlibrary.org/chat to chat with library staff in real time. Available Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.

FREE MASKS AVAILABLE
The Library has received about 3,500 masks from the province that members of the public can pick up in the lobby or by curbside pickup. Please contact the Library to set up an appointment before you arrive. One package of four masks will be available per person. More information about the Masks for Albertans program can be found at alberta.ca/masks

LAPTOP LENDING
The Hinton Municipal Library is offering laptop lending & internet access to the community of Hinton. Laptops are equipped with internet hotspots and are available for one-day borrowing and by appointment only. Borrowers must have a form of government issued ID. Appointments are available Monday-Thursday.

PUBLIC COMPUTERS
The Library has two computer stations set up for use by the public. An appointment must be scheduled beforehand, but a Library Membership is not required. Users can print materials from these computers.

Did You Know?

Did you know you could order items from other libraries to be picked up at Hinton Library? Order books, video games, movies & more with the online catalogue by following these steps:

Go to hintonlibrary.org
Click on “TRACpac” in the top right of the window
Click on “Log In” on the top right of the window
Enter your Library Membership Barcode and PIN
Click on the TRAC logo to return to the main page
Search for the item(s) you would like to check out
Click on “Place Request”
Select the Hinton Municipal Library as the pickup location
You will receive a message once your item is ready to be picked up
Contact Library Staff to set up a pickup appointment

New Books

We have been adding hundreds of items to the Library’s collection, and we want you to know about them!

Just some of the new titles for Non-Fiction include:

“Pelosi” by Molly Ball
“Wildcrafted Fermentation” by Pascal Baudar
“Talking with Bears” by G. A. Bradshaw
“How Did We Get Here?” by Robert Dallek
“Rage Against the Minivan” by Kristen Howerton
“More Myself” by Alicia Keys
“I’m Your Huckleberry” by Val Kilmer
“Tapping the West” by Scott Messenger
“Reef Life” by Callum Roberts
“How to Talk to Your Kids about Climate Change” by Harriet Shugarman

For a full list of recently added items, please go to hintonlibrary.org and click the link on the red banner.

THE WEST FRASER GUILD - FCSS & Transportation

WE ARE OPEN!

Regular Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm
Main phone line: 780-865-6036

FCSS motto is
"People helping people help themselves!"

Supports provided include:

Assisting the community with identifying social needs and developing responses to meet those needs
Enhancing the quality of life of the retired and semi-retired
Enriching and strengthening family life
Informing the public of available services
Promoting, encouraging, and supporting volunteer work and non-profit groups in the community
Promoting the social development of children and their families

REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION FAIR
The Annual Registration and Information Fair has been cancelled this year due to COVID-19. We plan to host next year, with a date tentatively set for Wednesday, September 8th 2021.

FAMILY RESOURCE NETWORK
The Caregiver Education Coordinator is looking forward to launching brand new fall programming, including:

An Infant Massage 4-Week Course
Walk & Talk Parent Support
Mother’s First Group
1-1 Caregiver Support
AND MORE!

As families settle into the new school year, there will be many questions and stressors. Jackie Delves, Caregiver Education Coordinator, is here to help with information, resources, and supports for parents – give her a call at 780-223-CARE (2273)

Check our Facebook Page for activity calendars, updates, resources, and more!

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX PROGRAM
312 income taxes have been filed this year!
We want to thank the individuals who volunteer their time to file all the client income taxes.

This program would not be able to run without you!

HINTON KIDS FOR SUCCESS
Summer & Fall Child Care
The Hinton Kids for Success team wants to say a big thank you to all of our generous sponsors who helped us create an amazing summer full of adventure, learning, and fun! Their contributions supported our summer programming and made the summer extra special.

Hinton Kids for Success returns to our school-year programming on September 8 with the start of the new school year. There are still a few spots left for children ages 5-12 in need of affordable, reliable, and fun-filled childcare. There are also subsidies available.

Please call 780-865-6036 to learn more!

YOUTH CENTRE
The Youth Centre reopens to the public on September 8 with the start of the new school year. We are so excited to catch up with everyone! To ensure our Centre is safe, we have implemented a few new safety measures including:

Masks will be mandatory for all youth and staff
Eating and preparing food has been temporarily removed – but don’t worry – we’ll still have snacks to go!
Floor markings and systems will be in place for social distancing
Additional cleaning measures will be implemented

Things will look a bit different to ensure we can all be safe together, but don’t worry – the Youth Centre will still be a great place to hang out, play games, and socialize!

ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION: AUGUST UPDATE
With COVID forcing services and connection to an online platform, the Dementia Care Partner Support Group has continued to function in this capacity during COVID-19. Although it is not an optimum environment for a support group of this nature, we were happy to welcome two new individuals from Grande Prairie and one caregiver from Westlock who joined us via Zoom for the Support Group in July.

We were invited to sit on the Alberta Seniors Ministry Advisory Council to bring a rural and community-based perspective to proposed initiatives at a provincial government level regarding elder abuse.

Through collaboration with Hinton RCMP, we were able to provide support for a family where historical, familial conflict was preventing an adult child (caregiver) from allowing access to the elderly mother who lived at home. Through a collaborative process a scheduled “visitation” time was set up through a simple mediation process to allow a safe, outdoor visit that with social distancing measures in place for out of town family members. It was a win-win situation for all involved. This case represents community agency teamwork at its best!!

If you are interested in joining the Dementia Care Partner Support Group please contact our Regional Elder Abuse Coordinator at 780-223-8009.