No matter the season, it is always the right time to start getting fit while having fun at the same time.
Treat each day at it comes
As a society we are often used to planning ahead, sometimes well ahead.
It’s difficult to find a silver lining during the COVID-19 pandemic, but if there can be a silver lining it would be to remind ourselves of the importance of being flexible and having the ability to adapt to changes in life.
Fore, golfers in the swing of things
Golfers were among the first to get back into the swing of things when Covid-19 restrictions began to ease up.
And they have been flooding the fairways on Selkirk-area courses ever since. While other sports and various industries were suffering, those links enjoyed a brisk business.
“It’s been a fantastic year,” said Lee Poworoznik, general manger of the Netley Creek Golf course. “Right from the get-go on May 4th, there’s been a dramatic increase in business, even with the Covid restrictions in place. It was never ending. Every day was like a weekend in July, at least until the cold weather started to come in recently.”
Those restrictions included staggering tee times further apart than usual, sanitizing equipment, no touching flagpoles, no ball washers, no rakes in sand traps and so on.
“I’d say it was a 25-30% improvement in green fees,” said Poworoznik, adding that the course does not host weddings and other large gatherings.
“It’s been a very good golf season for us at Larters,” said Peter Ewert, general manager of Larters at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club. “We’re up about 20% over last year, which is pretty significant. Due to the great weather and the restrictions with Covid elsewhere, it made it a lot more accessible to play the game. We had a lot more play by our members because we did not have a lot of tournaments because we could not have bigger crowds (due to restrictions).”
However, the increase in revenue on the golf side was balanced by the cancellations of weddings and other gatherings.
“Our banquet sales are down about 93% because the pandemic shut down every big wedding we had planned because of the restricted crowds, which is now down to 10 people (due to Code Orange),” Ewert said. “We’ll be pretty close to breaking even.”
The Selkirk Golf and Country Club has a similar outlook.
“It’s definitely been a busy season,” said club manager Mike Hill. “We started late – May 4th – which was about two weeks behind due to the (Covid) shutdown. And with the restricted tee times, we had a slow start. But people got used to the new Covid rules and we were at 90% capacity from the May long weekend to (late September).
“And the weather was great. We only closed two half days because of rain.”
Membership play was up about 30% with other green fees up 20%, he said.
“But our food and beverage side was down due to fewer tournaments this year,” Hill said. “And most corporate events were cancelled due to people being uneasy to be in large groups because of Covid (risks).
“We’ll see what happens with Christmas parties, but everything looks really good right now. We’ll be pretty close (in revenue) to our average year.”
Larters will expand its patio this winter to prepare for those golfers who feel safer eating outdoors during the pandemic next summer, Ewert said.
Walk, jog returning with COVID-19 rules, free start to the program
Submitted by the City of Selkirk
The City of Selkirk’s popular Walk & Jog program at the Rec Complex returns this year with a few changes to ensure participants stay healthy while pursuing their fitness routines.
“We’re really happy that Walk & Jog is back this fall and winter because we know there are so many people who enjoy it,” said the city’s Program Coordinator Shelly Leonard.
“There are some new rules in place to comply with provincial re-opening protocols and our Return to Play Protocol for the Rec so people will feel safe when they come and they can enjoy a walk or a run indoors when the weather outside turns colder.”
The Walk & Jog program runs Monday to Friday at the Rec Complex from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It starts on Sept. 23 and is free until Oct. 19th when regular fees kick in. It does not run on holidays or during special events. The program goes until the end of April.
Leonard says Walk & Jog aligns with Selkirk’s Strategic Plan that calls for the city to provide the best possible recreation opportunities for Selkirk residents, create a vibrant, safe and healthy community and serve as a hub for culture and recreation.
This year, walkers must register in person during program hours at the Rec Complex before beginning the program season – once you are registered you can book one-hour time slots ahead of time in person, online or over the phone, but your initial registration must be done in person. You will then be able to book up to one week of walking times in advance.
The city has found it essential being able to work a Public Health Inspector since the spring for the reopening of all programs and services. Based on guidance received and because the city has a public health order in place for programs, this program allows for a maximum of 25 people for each one-hour session. Following each session is a 15-minute buffer between booking times to allow one group to leave before the next group arrives.
Participants are asked to arrive no more than five minutes before their scheduled walk time.
Due to capacity restraints, there will only be space for drop-in walkers providing there are less than 25 people registered during a session.
“We really need everyone to adhere to the schedule so we don’t exceed the maximum number of people allowed in the building,” Leonard said.
When you arrive at the Rec Complex the doors will be locked, but an attendant will let you in. You will be required to sanitize upon your arrival and masks are mandatory throughout the duration of your visit; if you forget your mask you will be able to purchase one for $1.
The water fountains at the Rec Complex will not be available so walkers are asked to bring their own water in their own bottles during this time. Washrooms in the main lobby will be closed, but those inside the rink will be open during your walking session. Washrooms and other high-touch surfaces will be sanitized every hour.
The cost for Selkirk residents for the season is $40 and $60 for non-residents.
The city’s Manager of Cultural and Recreational Activities Kyla Ray says that although costs associated in running this program have increased due to the level of sanitization and additional staffing, it was important to keep the price of the program the same for users.
“Access to affordable recreation during this time is vital for the mental and physical wellness of our citizens,” said Ray.
As the situation with COVID-19 is always changing the rules for the Walk & Jog program may change as well.
“Every detail of the program has been examined to determine how to mitigate risk and this has resulted in a significant demand on staff time. Even when the program starts, we will continually re-evaluate our processes,”.
Participants will be asked to show identification for registration and will then receive a walking pass and number. This number will be your identification for daily sign in. Cash, debit, and credit card are accepted.
For more information on the Walk & Jog program, visit MySelkirk.ca/walkjog
To view the full Selkirk Rec Complex COVID-19 Return to Play Protocol, click visit MySelkirk.ca/recreationcomplex.
City makes COVID Alert App mandatory on all city-issued smartphones, App is now live
Submitted by the City of Selkirk
Want to help mitigate community spread of the COVID-19 virus? Well now there’s an app for that, and the city is making sure their employees are doing their part.
As of Friday, August 12, all city employees with city-issued cell phones downloaded and have been running the COVID-19 Alert app on their smartphones. As of today, the free app is officially available for use to all Manitoba residents. Manitoba is the fifth Province to join this initiative.
“This is just another way we’re trying to be leaders in our community. Even if this prevents one, or ten, or 100 people from contracting the virus, it’s well worth it,” said Mayor Larry Johannson.
Developed by the Government of Canada, the free COVID Alert app’s main purpose is to break the cycle of community spread by notifying you if you’ve possibly been exposed to someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Government of Canada’s website, the app exchanges randomly generated codes with others who have downloaded the app via Bluetooth. If you have test positive, you notify the app and anyone who has received a randomly generated code from you will be notified they may have been exposed.
The Government of Canada’s website also says the app is secure and has no way of knowing your location, your name, your contacts, your address or your health records.
“Our employees deal with citizens on a daily basis. I view it as our civic duty that if one of our employees tested positive, we would notify anyone they came in contact with instantly. This makes it easy for us to do that,” said the city’s Director of Protective Services Kristy Hill.
“Not only that, if someone who was asymptomatic exposed and unknowingly infected multiple people at their workplace, that could possibly devastate our day-to-day operations. Any step we can take to reduce that from happening, we’re taking it.”
The city is also taking other preventative measures to mitigate community spread within the workplace. This includes workers travelling in different vehicles when possible, enhanced cleaning and sanitary measures, and providing all staff with facemasks which are to be used when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Hill says that the city is really focusing on the services they provide, and making sure citizens are informed of the changing landscape.
“We’re taking this seriously. A lot of time and effort has not only gone into keeping our employees and community safe, but to communicate with our citizens about the changes to our day-to-day operations,” said Hill.
“People get their information from multiple different outlets, and it sometimes can be confusing what’s mandatory, what’s recommended, or even what’s true or not. We’re focusing on what we know, delivering services our citizens have come to expect as best we can with the changing landscape, and taking and sharing the direct advice of provincial experts.”
Back in April, the city developed the Selkirk Business Continuity Plan (SBCP) to establish a guideline during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also created a dedicated webpage with all changes to city services, programs and events throughout the year.
You can view the SBCP on the dedicated webpage at www.myselkirk.ca/covid19. The COVID alert App is available for download on iOS and Android devices. Together, we can limit the spread of COVID-19 and prevent future outbreaks.
Fishermen casting in hopes of season
While the Manitoba Junior Hockey League apparently received a special exemption from Public Health to go ahead with their plans for the 2020-21 season under Covid-19 restrictions, others had remained in limbo.
Until recently.
The Capital Region Junior Hockey League received official permission to start its season after Oct. 1 on Sept. 28 — after attending a number of meetings with Hockey Manitoba, Selkirk Fishermen head coach/GM Chris Poponick said.
“I didn’t think anything was going to come out of it, especially after the City (Winnipeg) and the surrounding areas went to Code Orange,” he said.
Those surrounding areas include Selkirk. Code Orange was issued to address the sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the Winnipeg area.
“(It) does not impact any current buildings with restrictions that were already put in place,” Poponick said.
While waiting, the five Junior B teams drew up three different possible schedules, depending on when they would be allowed to start. Once the league got the go-ahead, the teams rushed to finalize a schedule, with the Fishermen playing a 32-game season beginning Oct. 10.
The players are excited.
“It turns everything up really quickly, that’s for sure,” said Poponick. “They’re going to play something meaningful now.
“I’m ordering new equipment now because I wasn’t going to pay for it if we weren’t going to play.”
The other four CRJHL squads are: the Arborg Ice Dawgs, Lundar Falcons, North Winnipeg Satellites and St. Malo Warriors.
The Fishermen started their training camp in early September and the players are already well-versed in the Covid protocols, which includes wearing masks entering and leaving the facilities where they play.
“It’s kind of painful at times because there’s so many limits,” Poponick said. “Only having 11 players in a dressing room at once is tough. And the players can only get into the rink 20 minutes before getting on the ice and have to leave the rink 20 minutes after getting off the ice.”
But the teams do not have to travel by bus very often, so they won’t have to worry about the protocols associated with that aspect.
“Our league is much smaller (than the MJHL) so we don’t usually take a bus,” Poponick said. “Cliques of players that usually hang out together ride together. So, that’s not that big of a deal.”
The Fishermen players have bought in because they are anxious to get back on the ice after the season was shut down before the playoffs last year.
“The guys have been good and are sticking to every protocol that we have,” said Poponick, whose team was in first place when the year ended so abruptly.
Despite the pandemic delays, the league is still pursuing expansion teams, Poponick said.
Family, friends are awesome
I am giving a shout out to my family and friends or as I like to call them team awesome.
Selkirk Judo Club: update
The Selkirk Judo Club has been operating for a number of decades.
Selkirk mayor proud of working relationship with province
The Selkirk Settler Times met up with Selkirk mayor Larry Johannson on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building on Sept.29.
Video interview/feature coming soon.
The faith needed during fearful times
When the Coronavirus Pandemic first broke out back in March, our 11 year old granddaughter Emma came from school (this was just before classes were shut down) to have lunch with us. As we ate, she said, “Adults need to talk to kids about what’s going on. There are a lot of scared kids in school.” I remember thinking, “Not just kids…” Many adults were (and still are) very anxious at what has overtaken our world.
In the midst of troubling times, the biggest need today is for peace in our hearts. So, how can we have that peace? It’s through faith. Let me give you a couple of illustrations of that.
Earlier this spring, we received word from our missionary friend Margo Hoffman in Vancouver that her husband Randy was in ICU in hospital because he had contracted COVID-19.
In an email detailing Randy’s condition, Margo wrote: “So the news isn’t encouraging. I spoke to a doctor today who told how serious Randy’s condition is. The ventilator is still completely breathing for him. He said that someone with Randy’s lung condition has a 50 – 75% chance of not surviving. That, combined with his liver failure, brings the survival rate lower to 20%.” I grieved as I read that, thinking how sad the loss of such a wonderful man to the work of God would be.
But she continued on, “Yet, God’s purposes and plans are so much higher…” and one of those, she said was that through these things, God “tests and strengthens our faith and hearts as believers.”
As I read that, I thought, “This is someone who is responding with faith during difficult times.” You see, faith means trusting God through thick or thin, no matter what He allows, that He is accomplishing His good purposes.
Entrusting ourselves in faith to God will calm the storm of fear in our hearts. Indeed, Jesus promised, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
Just the other day, I received another email from Margo. She told of Randy’s recovery and being home the last couple of months. She wrote, “God has been so good and faithful every step of the way.” Though Randy still battles things like fatigue and he has other aches and pains he never had before, he is much, much better.
So you see, when I place my faith in Him, I experience the peace of God that passes understanding. When I take the step of faith and entrust myself to Him, I release myself from fear’s tight grip.
Our house has seven steps up from the entrance to the kitchen. When my grandson Owen was two years old, he would stand on the top step and jump into my waiting arms at the landing. One day, I had just come into the house, was taking my jacket off when out of the corner of my eye, I saw him about to jump. I caught him just in time. What was Owen’s faith? “Grandpa will always catch me.”
So also will God.
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27
Henry Ozirney was the founding pastor of New Life Church in Stonewall, where he served from 1970 until he retired in 2014. He is currently Interim Pastor at New Life Church in Teulon, Manitoba. He can be reached at henryoz@mts.net or 204-461-1105.
