Not looking for special treatment, just want Thunder Bay to apply the capacity standards as outlined by the province.
That’s the message of the Thunder Bay Hockey Community Facebook group as representative Lex MacArthur will make his pitch to council Monday night.
In Step 3 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen, indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities can be open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less.
MacArthur maintains that’s not being met, “Allowing for 50% capacity does not guarantee packed arenas for every night game. What is ensures is that every parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle that wants to attend that has gone out and got vaccinated with the promise that a return to normal was on the horizon can get in and watch their player. These people have done everything that they have been asked to do for 19 months and now is the time to reward them for their diligence.”
The representative has had conversations about the matter with both City Manager Norm Gale and the General Manager of Community Services Kelly Robertson.
Robertson, in a response that was shared with Acadia News, maintained that the time and staffing resources to screen people entering the building necessitated the limits to be reduced to 40 on ice participants and 45 spectators.
Norm Gale, in a separate email, stressed that new screening requirements that took effect on Wednesday, September 22 make it difficult to remain at the 50% capacity limit.
MacArthur feels Thunder Bay is falling behind other communities, including Oliver Paipoonge.
“Outside of the city, Mayor Lucy Kloosterhuis and her team have figured it out. The Norwest arena is allowing 275 spectators. Marathon a similar number for a 3 vs 3 tournament a few weeks ago,” MacArthur mentions.
MacArthur has also reached out to other cities ahead of his presentation Monday, including Sudbury, Mississauga and Kingston.
As of September 18th, numbers from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit shows that 83.8 per cent of the population 12 and over have received at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 76.2 per cent were fully immunized.
The Ontario numbers show 89.9 per cent with at least one dose, and 83 per cent fully vaccinated.
