Season At Pla-Mor Palace Becomes A COVID - 19 Casualty
The COVID - 19 pandemic has pounced again and this time it looks like its’ victim is the remainder of the 2020 - 2021 regular minor hockey season as the City has announced the Pla-Mor Palace will be closed for the remainder of the season.
The Pla-More Palace, which houses the Wally Boschuk and Bert Hunt arenas, is a central hub for minor hockey.
On January 12th the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) sent out a memo that they had spoken to the Provincial officials who indicated that regular play would not be resuming before the end of March, something the SHA was not expecting. The SHA had seen game play restarted after being shut down on March 12th of last year due to the pandemic.
Teams were allowed to practice until the first week of November when they were allowed to hold league games under strict measures to prevent the potential spread of COVID - 19. In December, due to rising COVID - 19 numbers, game play was “temporarily suspended” until December 14th under a Public Health Order that effected other sports and activities along with hockey. The order has been extended until January 28th.
“After careful consideration and consultation with our major user groups, we have made the decision to close the Pla-Mor Palace for the rest of the winter season,” Derek Blais, Director of Parks and Recreation said in a statement. “With the extension of the Public Health measures, it was determined that the current demand for ice can be accommodated at the Kinsmen Arena and Mosaic Place.”
During the Pla-Mor Palace’s closure public skating times will be available at the Kinsmen Arena.
It is unknown what cost savings, if any, the closure of the Pla-Mor Palace will have on the Parks and Recreation Department’s budget but in updates in the past to Council Blais said there are some cost savings to be had when facilities were closed because of COVID - 19.
The 2021 City operating budget included funds of up to $2,500 available to the four indoor rinks from the Province - three skating and one curling.
The Pla-Mor’s closure is part of a growing number of measures taken locally in response to the pandemic.
Closing the Pla-Mor for the season is not the only Winter sports facility to end their season due to the extension of the Public Health Order as last Friday the remainder of the 2020 - 2021 curling season was cancelled for the same reason.
The announcements are coupled with a Memo sent out also last Friday from the Prairie South School Division to parents points to an extended period of COVID - 19 pandemic measures running until at least the end of June however the measures could change at short notice.
Many in the provincial Opposition are calling for another shutdown of the Province’s economy tighter than the initial shutdown this past Spring due to the province having the Canadian leading per capita COVID - 19 cases per 100,000 people.