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Council approves 2020 recreation fee schedule

There will be little change to the cost of using Virden’s recreational facilities this summer.

There will be little change to the cost of using Virden’s recreational facilities this summer.

Although the provincial COVID-19 virus’s State of Emergency will delay seasonal activities this spring, Virden Town Council approved the 2020 recreational usage fees at their regular meeting on Tuesday. The meeting was held by video teleconference due to the current social distancing order.

Virden’s chief administrative officer Rhonda Stewart says pool registrations may move forward despite an indefinite delay to the facility’s operations. The town plans to have all preparations completed to open all infrastructure soon after the provincial COVID-19 order is lifted.

On March 20, Premier Brain Pallister announced that Manitoba was under a State of Emergency due to the pandemic. The order, which is in effect for 30 days, forces the closure of all fitness and recreation facilities.

The construction of a new liner for the Virden pool is currently on track for completion as scheduled, Stewart added.

The only noticeable change to recreation usage fees is a three-dollar increase to adult seasonal passes at the pool. A family membership is $235, while adult individuals will pay $120 instead of $117 like in 2019. Student passes remain static at $82.

No changes were made to the pool’s all-day and evening pricing.

Meanwhile, the town’s ball diamond and soccer field fees will remain similar to last year. Virden Minor Ball and the local slo-pitch league will pay $2000 for the season, with both the Virden Collegiate Institute’s (VCI) boys and girls baseball teams paying $250 each.

The town has set the per-game usage fee – prescribed for special events, reunions and other community occasions – at $50.

The community’s soccer fields will see $500 coming from VCI boys and girls teams. The Virden Youth Soccer organization will pay $500, unless they provide washroom facilities at the fields, which would cut their fees in half.

Tundra Place lighting project

Virden councilors also approved a $65,000 project to replace damaged lights and ballasts within Tundra Oil and Gas Place.

Fixtures in the facility have needed replacement for some time due to deterioration in the ballasts from humidity in the building, particularly during the summer months. That issue has been rectified with a dehumidification system, but the rust damage to some of the lighting remains. The previous council decided to wait until the dehumidification system was in place before correcting the situation.

On Tuesday, councilors passed a motion to approve the completion of the re-fit.

Councilors also voted in favor of removing the ice from Tundra Oil and Gas Place as a cost saving measure during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

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