The Langdon Community Association (LCA) has been doing its best to keep residents happy with outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rules handed down from Alberta Health Services (AHS) regarding regulations at outdoor rinks have caused some frustration in the community.
Chrissy Craig, the chair of LCA, said some Langdon residents have struggled with the clarity of the current rules regarding community skating rinks, while others are simply growing more frustrated with pandemic-related restrictions.
“They are not allowed to play hockey on the rinks,” she said. “When it’s a hockey community, the first thing they want to do is go play hockey. There have been quite a lot of residents that are upset because it is against AHS rules.”
Craig said dealing with backlash from residents and not being able to monitor or police the hamlet’s two community rinks has made operating the amenities difficult.
“We don’t have the capacity to sit there and tell people they can’t play hockey,” she said. “So, they are getting on the rink and playing hockey, and there is not much we can do about it.”
AHS updated its rules regarding outdoor recreational activities in December 2020. According to recreational activity guidelines published Dec. 13 on Alberta.ca, no competitions, games or events can occur on a skating rink, including shinny or pick-up hockey. Non-household participants must be distanced by at least two metres while skating.
According to Craig, Langdon's rinks have been packed with people trying to enjoy outdoor activities this winter. She said because of the smaller size of the hamlet's rinks and the restrictions currently implemented, only 20 people are allowed to be on an ice surface at a time.
“It is the only recreation that is allowed right now, so a lot of people are skating this year,” she said. “It is unbelievable how busy it is. It’s busy at all times of the day.”
Local RCMP and bylaw officers have also been present at the rinks on a few occasions, Craig said, as people have reported the rules being broken.
“As a community association, we can’t enforce the rules – we just post them,” she said. “I don’t believe any fines have been handed out in Langdon. They are mostly educating people about the rules. They have said if the same people are causing problems, they will be fined.”
She added the occasional presence of RCMP and bylaw officers at the rinks has been an unexpected adjustment this winter.
“There are so many things the RCMP could be doing,” she said. “The fact that they have to check on outdoor rinks, it makes it hard that they have to follow these rules that in some ways don’t make sense. In the greater sense, it is helping the population so that we can all get back to normal. My heart goes out to the RCMP for having to deal with this.”
Craig said trying to keep the community happy with what is a main source of recreation in the hamlet has been difficult, as the rinks are such important and popular amenities in Langdon.
“To be able to have some sort of outdoor recreation in a small community is extremely important,” she said. “It gives people something else to do other than staring at the four walls at home.”
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
