OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor. They can be sent to [email protected]. This is a letter to the editor and an open letter to Orillia city council.
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Our intent of writing this letter is to request the COVID assessment centre be relocated to a more appropriate setting.
We are writing this letter on behalf of the youth in our community. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected youth in our community and Ontario.
Youth have minimal risk of severe consequences of COVID-19 yet have arguably shouldered a heavier burden than most in our province to prevent spread to the more vulnerable populations. They have suffered socially, mentally, physically, and scholastically.
Although we may finally be seeing the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, our youth are facing an epidemic of obesity, mental health issues, learning gaps, and income losses.
Our concern is that Rotary Place Blue Ice surface is a poor choice to house the COVID assessment centre as the pandemic appears to be waning. This not to suggest we do not need COVID screening and swabbing but we are advocating for a change in venue.
The assessment centre is currently utilizing a space of approximately 17,000 square feet plus the foyer. In comparison, all long-term care facilities in Ontario are managing to swab similar numbers of people in far smaller spaces. We believe that a more appropriate location would serve our entire community better.
To prepare for this season, our organizations need the decision to relocate the assessment centre to be made by the end of June. Registration for hockey and figure skating opens within weeks. Losing an entire ice surface for another year will place enormous pressure on our organizations' ability to survive. All youth sport organizations are expecting at least a 10 to 20 per cent loss of participants due to pandemic concerns and hesitancy to return to ‘normal.’
More concerning to us is last year our organizations were unable to take on any new members. New participants account for approximately 10 per cent of total members every year.
Loss of new members for a second consecutive year combined with an expected hesitancy to return to youth activities will exacerbate declined enrolment. Our programs will be unsustainable. Not moving the assessment centre will be devastating to our organizations and unfortunate for the youth we serve.
Like all businesses and organizations, we will return with all COVID-19 precautions expected by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. We will follow all suggested capacity limits. Our concern is the loss of our facility. Please consider this request to find a suitable replacement for the Orillia COVID-19 assessment centre. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner we can get kids active.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Fagan
President, Orillia Minor Hockey
Lori Irwin
President, Orillia Figure Skating Club
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