THUNDER BAY – The demand for golf in Ontario was so high, Pat Berezowski says the online booking system used by most courses in the province crashed shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday.
That’s when Premier Doug Ford gave the OK for golf courses and other outdoor recreational amenities to welcome back the public, a pre-cursor to the province’s three-stage, vaccine-dependent plan to reopen Ontario by mid-summer.
Berezowski, the director of golf for the City of Thunder Bay, said barring weather issues, he expects the first golfers to tee off at Chapples and Strathcona golf courses on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m., understanding most of the precautions put in place and used last year will still be in effect in 2021.
He added it’s excitement mixed with the pressure of having to have everything ready to go in a couple of days.
“It’s rather nerve wracking to have to open two golf courses in a very short time, with staffing. The golf course has to be prepped. But we do have an experienced crew on the golf course as well as the clubhouse, so I feel confident that with the knowledge that we have, and the experience, golfers will be happy with the product.”
Unlike some of the local privately owned courses, neither Strathcona nor Chapples had opened before the province issued stay-at-home orders, closing outdoor recreational facilities in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
At the time, the Ontario Golf Association launched a campaign to pressure Ford to reopen golf, stating that not a single case of COVID-19 case traced back to any of the 22 million rounds played on Ontario courses last year.
“My phone started blowing up. I don’t know if people wanted to get an inside track on tee times – probably. People are excited to get in just chomping at the bit to hear the news from Ford today,” Berezowski said.
The provincial plan calls for a measured reopening of Ontario, starting the week of June 14. Each of the stages will remain in place for at least 21 days.
Stage 1 occurs when 60 per cent of adults are vaccinated with one dose and allows for campsites and campgrounds, Ontario Parks, limited outdoor gatherings and non-essential retail to open at 15 per cent. Stage 2 comes into effect once 70 per cent of adults are vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent have received a second shot. Outdoor gathering sizes increase to 25, most personal care services can resume and outdoor dining is permitted, no more than six people per table. Sports leagues and events can also resume, as well as outdoor cinemas and live music events.
The third stage relaxes most indoor gathering sizes and allows theatres, gyms, casinos and large indoor religious ceremonies to take place.
City manager Norm Gale, who received his first vaccination at the CLE on Thursday, said Thunder Bay will work within the regulations to ensure their services and amenities open when they’re supposed to open.
“What we will do as a corporation of the City of Thunder Bay, and the services we provide, we will permit all the services we can, as permitted by law, and we will do in a safe and responsible fashion,” Gale said.
“As people want to use our services, we want to do it safely, and within the law.”
At least two salon owners in the city have stated in the past they plan to reopen on June 3 regardless of provincial regulations. As it stands, the earliest they could open would be the first week of July, if public health requirements are met.
