COVID-19 Information

This page contains the latest regarding COVID-19 and safety precautions within USask Rec, please click here for our reopening plans.

 

This page is not being updated. For our latest reopening information, click here.

For virtual recreation opportunities, click here.

Update as of May 14, 2021:

USask Rec Patrons,

We have not forgotten about you and have been working hard on plans to be able to offer as many of our recreation programs as safely as possible when approved to do so.

Last week, the provincial government and Saskatchewan Health Authority released their re-open roadmap guidelines for the province. USask Rec is excited to follow those guidelines and continue our plans to re-open recreation for our on and off campus community in the coming months. We encourage you to watch our website and social media channels for all updates as we work through our re-opening plans.

We appreciate your patience and commitment to our recreation programming and look forward to seeing you back on campus.

 

Update as of November 3, 2020 for precautionary measures:

USask Rec continues to monitor the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) as we cautiously reopen parts of our recreation programming and follow the advice provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

We are taking additional precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all our members, colleagues and students – this is our number one priority.

You can find out about the actions we are taking to keep our members safe, how we are responding to COVID-19 and how our members can keep themselves and others safe in the following FAQ

What actions is USask Rec taking to keep members safe in recreational facilities?

USask Rec recognizes that the health and safety of our members, colleagues and students is our top priority.

We have increased the level of cleaning and hygiene in the Fit Centre and recreational spaces, including:

  • Require a passing daily health screening questions to all patrons
  • Masks are mandatory for staff at all times and patrons when entering and exiting the facility
  • Limit the number of patrons in the Fit Centre to 30 per 1 hour time slot
  • Reversible signage identifying “sanitized” or “used” on ALL machines eliminating cross contamination between users
  • Directional signage is highly visible throughout the Physical Activity Complex and Fit Centre to ensure social distancing
  • Trained Fit Centre staff control ALL cleaning and sanitizing of machines and equipment
  • Fit Centre staff continue to deep clean and sanitize on an hourly and daily basis
  • Janitorial staff continuously clean and sanitize touch points throughout the day
  • Entrance and exit remain separate to eliminate contact between exercise groups

What can members do to help?

With the efforts of everyone in USask Rec, including our members, let’s work together to keep ourselves safe and healthy. 

USask Rec and our members are encouraged to help reduce the spread of the virus through proper personal hygiene. This includes:

  • Frequent hand washing (wash your hands for at least 20 seconds) and hand sanitizing during your visits
  • Make full use of the soap, sanitizers and cleaning items available
  • Bring your own water bottle
  • Respect and pay attention to all directional signage throughout the Physical Activity Complex and Fit Centre.
  • Wearing a mask
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Familiarize yourself with the latest guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and do not visit the facilities if you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or feeling under the weather and are advised to self-isolate

We are continuously monitoring the situation closely in all of our gyms and recreation spaces and hygiene is the number one priority.  

What if there is a positive case within campus recreational spaces?

USask Rec recognizes that there is risk of exposure in our recreational facilities. Should we be notified by the Saskatchewan Health Authority in regard to a positive case, USask Rec will follow their safety recommendations and guidelines for reopening and communicating to our members.

We have a secure contact tracing plan in place that will allow us to contact members of our facilities should we need to.

 


Update as of August 25, 2020 for monthly and yearly paid memberships:

As we continue to monitor the situation around COVID-19, we want to remind members that all monthly and yearly paid membership fees have been paused as of April 1st, 2020. We continue to work diligently at re-opening recreational areas within Physical Activity Complex and Education Building but continue to await approval from the university. Please know, when we begin to re-open, not all recreational areas will be available and it may be a staggered approach. We appreciate your patience with us and look forward to gradually welcoming you back.  At this time, if you wish to cancel your membership, please email usaskrec@usask.ca.

 

Update as of August 21, 2020 for Aquatics:

USask Rec and the University of Saskatchewan continue to take preventative measures after consultation with health experts, colleagues from across campus, and our partners at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Our indoor pools and facilities continue to remain closed. We are continuing to await approval to re-open our facilities and are having on-going conversations in regards to the best plan to slowly begin re-offering our aquatics programming that will provide the safest return possible, to our pools and facilities for instructors and participantsWhile our programming will not look the same, we are hopeful to be able to offer our patrons limited aquatics programming in the near future. 

We will continue to provide updates as they become available via our website.

You are able to view our Fall Programs & Activities online, however, we are not accepting registrations at this time.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and commitment to our aquatics programming at the University of Saskatchewan.

 

Update as of July 29, 2020 for PAAL Summer Camp:

While the province has announced that summer camps can begin on June 22nd, unfortunately, we are not able to host USask Rec PAAL camps this summer due to COVID-19 restrictions and the feasibility of offering camps that are able to safely physical distance and follow guidelines set by the Government of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Health Authority.  

We understand this announcement may be disappointing for many of our summer PAAL campers, however, the decision was made with careful consideration for the health and safety of all participants and instructors. We look forward to welcoming you back for our 2021 PAAL summer camp. Please know that the PAAL program is an integral part of the College of Kinesiology and USask Rec and we are working hard to ensure its successful return, when safe to do so. We will continue to communicate with our PAAL participants as these plans are developed.

Refunds will be issued to all current registered PAAL camp participants. A USask Rec staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible to process a refund or apply a credit to your USask Rec account. Please be patient with us as we work through processing these refunds.

 

Update as of July 23, 2020 for Aquatics:

USask Rec and the University of Saskatchewan continue to take preventative measures after consultation with health experts, colleagues from across campus, and our partners at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Indoor pools are a part of Phase 4 – Stage 2 of the Provincial Re-open Saskatchewan plan and have been cleared to open, unfortunately, we are not prepared to offer aquatics programming at this time. We have made the difficult decision to cancel all aquatics programming until Sunday, August 16th. Please know that we are working diligently at a strategic re-opening plan for our aquatics facilities and programming, that will provide the safest return possible, to our pools and facilities for instructors and participants.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available via our website.

Refunds or a USask Rec account credit will be issued to all current registered participants up until August 16th. A USask Rec staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible to process a refund or apply a credit to your USask Rec account.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and commitment to our aquatics programming at the University of Saskatchewan.

 

Update as of July 13, 2020 for Children's Activity Camps:

Children’s Activity Camps

While the province has announced that children’s summer camps can begin on June 22nd, unfortunately, we are not able to host USask Rec Children’s Activity Camps this summer due to COVID-19 restrictions and the feasibility of offering camps that are able to safely physical distance and follow guidelines set by the Government of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Health Authority.  

We understand this announcement may be disappointing for many of our summer campers, however, the decision was made with careful consideration for the health and safety of all participants and instructors. We look forward to welcoming you back for our 2021 February break and summer camps.

Refunds will be issued to all current registered Children’s Activity Camp participants up until August 28th. A USask Rec staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible to process a refund or apply a credit to your USask Rec account. Please be patient with us as we work through processing these refunds.

 

Update as of July 6, 2020 for aquatics programming:

Aquatics:

USask Rec has started the process and planning of re-opening our indoor pools with the consultation of the University of Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, we will not be opening our indoor pools on July 6th. Although we do not have an approved re-opening date yet, we are hopeful we will be opening our doors to you soon.

At this time, all aquatics programming is cancelled up until Thursday, July 30th. At that time, we will re-evaluate the state of the re-opening plan and provide an update. If we are able to provide an update sooner, we will communicate one via our website.

USask Rec is committed to providing our members with a safe and hygienic space to exercise in and your health and safety continue to remain our highest priority.

 

Update as of June 22, 2020:

USask Rec and the University of Saskatchewan continue to take preventative measures after consultation with health experts, colleagues from across campus, and our partners at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Government of Saskatchewan. 

Children’s Activity Camps

The province has announced that children’s summer camps can begin on June 22nd. Unfortunately, we are not prepared to host USask Rec Children’s Activity Camps at this time. We hope to welcome children back to our activity camps for the end of July and into August, if feasible and safe. If we are able to offer Children’s Activity Camps in August, please know that they will not be the camps currently listed in our USask Rec Activities Guide or on our website and registrations will be limited. We will be required to make modifications and offer camps that are able to safely physical distance and follow guidelines set by the Saskatchewan provincial government. 

Aquatics

As indoor pools remain a part of Phase 4 – Stage 2 of the Provincial Re-open Saskatchewan plan and have no official opening date, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all aquatics programming until Friday, July 24th. At that time, we will re-evaluate the state of the re-opening plan and provide an update.

Fit Centre

USask Rec has started the process and planning of re-opening the Fit Centre with the consultation of the University of Saskatchewan. Although we do not have an approved re-opening date yet, we are hopeful we will be opening our doors to you soon. USask Rec is committed to providing our members with a safe and hygienic space to exercise in and your health and safety continue to remain our highest priority.

 

Update as of Thursday, May 28th, 2020:

We miss you, but we are not quite ready for you!

As the Saskatchewan Government announced an opening date for Phase 3 targeted for June 8, like you, we are very excited that it includes fitness facilities. As we continue to monitor the situation around COVID-19 and plan for safe and healthy delivery of activities in line with government and university guidelines, please know that we are doing our absolute best to prepare to re-open our recreation facilities and will communicate timelines for opening as soon as we are able.

As for our USask Rec programming, we are still awaiting a targeted date for Phase 4 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan. We will communicate more information as we receive it.

For the latest information and updates, follow us on social media!

Update as of Wednesday, May 20th, 2020:

Please know at this time, we continue to shadow the recommendations from the Saskatchewan Health Authority and follow Saskatchewan Provincial Government’s and University of Saskatchewan’s re-opening plan. Our recreation programming falls under phase 4 of the Provincial Government’s plan, which at this time, does not have a scheduled date.

As we continue to plan for our recreation programming to resume, we will provide updates to our patrons as we receive them.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during these unprecedented times.

 

Update as of Thursday, April 16th, 2020:

As we continue to monitor the situation around COVID-19, we are making decisions to ensure the health and safety of our campus community and beyond, continue to be our top priority.

The following program updates are effective immediately;

Aquatics
All aquatics programming in May and June is cancelled. A staff member will be in touch with you as soon as possible to issue a credit to your USask Rec account or a refund. If you have specific questions about our aquatics programming please email usaskrec.aquatics@usask.ca.

Registrations for Summer 2020 programming (July-August)
We are still accepting registrations for our summer programming for July and August, however, we continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and follow regulations from the Saskatchewan Health Authority and University of Saskatchewan. As decisions are made, we will update our programming accordingly.

For general inquiries, please email usaskrec@usask.ca.

We appreciate all of our patrons support through this challenging time and continue to offer fitness resources on our USask Rec social media channels.

 

 

Update as of Monday, March 23rd, 2020:

 

Effective, Monday, March 23, 2020, the Physical Activity Complex will be closed, with only limited access to employees deemed as critical to our core operations. We understand you may be concerned about your personal belongings in your locker, rest assured, we will not be cleaning out any lockers at this time. All contents in lockers continue to be safe and secure.

 

As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop, we want to keep our critical, on-site, employees as safe as possible. We appreciate your patience and cooperation at this time.

 

For at home workouts and fitness tips, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

 

Update as of Thursday, March 19th, 2020 at 3:00pm:

Notice that effective March 20, 2020, the USask Rec administration office (PAC 222), will be closed for in-person services to do our part to protect the health of our staff and the public.

Rest assured that although we are closed for in-person services, we continue to be available via email.

You can register for all of our USask Rec programs online at beactive.usask.ca. If you have any registration questions or other general inquiries please send an email to Usaskrec@usask.ca. A pdf copy of our activities guide with all of our program offerings can be found on our web page at rec.usask.ca.

 

Update as of Sunday, March 15th, 2020 at 3:00pm:

As you are aware, the COVID-19 situation is one that changes quickly and requires equally quick decisions to ensure the health and safety of our campus community and beyond. We will continue to share updates with you as soon as we can.

In addition to the wide ranging changes announced on March 13, the University of Saskatchewan is now taking new preventative measures that will be in effect immediately. These steps are not considered lightly and are made after consultation with health experts, colleagues from across campus, and our partners at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Government of Saskatchewan.

USask will oversee the closure of the university’s recreation facilities:

All USask Rec programming will be suspended until further notice as of Monday, March 16 at 6:00am.

  • Physical activity areas within the Physical Activity Complex, Education Building, Williams Building(dance classes), Merlis Belsher Place, and Griffiths Stadium will be closed as of Monday, March 16 at 6 am until further notice.
  • This includes the Fit Centre, gymnasiums, gymnastics room, pools, squash courts, training facilities, dance studio, equipment desk, change room facilities, track, and any other areas of recreation.
  • All Campus Rec intramurals and clubs are suspended as of Monday, March 16 at 6:00am until further notice.
  • Registration for Spring and Summer 2020 programming will continue. We strongly encourage people to register online at beactive.usask.ca to register.

  • We understand that these cancelations, in some cases, may have a monetary impact and we will work to find solutions if refunds for community programs are required.

 

 

Update as of Friday, March 13th, 2020:

The University of Saskatchewan continues to monitor the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and will provide you with relevant information as needed. As part of our regular operations, the university has an emergency management plan with protocols and procedures in place if they are required.

We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and following the advice provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

We are taking additional precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all our members, colleagues and students – this is our number one priority.

The College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics are committed to providing our members with a safe and hygienic space to exercise in and we are taking this situation extremely seriously. 

You can find out about the actions we are taking to keep our members safe, how we are responding to COVID-19 and how our members can keep themselves and others safe in the following FAQ

What actions are the College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics taking to keep students, faculty, staff, and members safe in recreational facilities?

At the College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics, the health and safety of our members, colleagues and students is our top priority.

We have increased the level of cleaning and hygiene in our gyms, sports and recreational spaces, including:

  • Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitization in our gyms, especially high touch areas such as equipment, door handles, lockers, towels, etc.
  • Swipe cards are still to be swiped but will no longer be held at the customer service desk by staff members. All members will keep their swipe cards on person.
  • Ensuring soap dispensers and hand sanitizers remain filled.
  • Providing additional cleaning stations in all gyms to allow members to self-clean equipment before and after use.
  • Educating and reminding members and colleagues of the importance of proper hygiene in the gym.

Within the College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics, we have advised all colleagues and employees on what to do when returning from foreign travel, in line with USask requirements.

What can members do to help?

With the efforts of everyone in the College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics, including our members, let’s work together to keep ourselves safe and healthy.

The College of Kinesiology, USask Rec, and Huskie Athletics and our members are encouraged to help reduce the spread of the virus through proper personal hygiene. This includes:

  • Frequent hand washing (wash your hands for at least 20 seconds) and hand sanitizing during your visits
  • Ensuring all cuts, scrapes and open wounds are covered appropriately
  • Making full use of the soap, sanitizers and cleaning items available
  • Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and disposing of the tissue in the bin after use
  • Bring your own water bottle
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date
  • Familiarize yourself with the latest guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and do not visit the facilities if you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or feeling under the weather and are advised to self-isolate

We are continuously monitoring the situation closely in all of our gyms and recreation spaces and hygiene is the number one priority.  

Can I still register for Spring/Summer 2020 USask Rec programming?

Yes! The registration for Spring/Summer 2020 programming will begin online on Monday, March 16th. You can register by visiting beactive.usask.ca. You can view the Activities Guide here!

What recreational areas are closed?

  • The rock climbing wall