Throughout the pandemic, athletes in Ontario have lost many months of practice due to the numerous lockdowns premier Doug Ford has imposed. While recreational centres have been open, coaches, staff and athletes have followed all necessary protocols and procedures to limit the COVID-19 transmission. To our knowledge, there has been no known cases linked to having recreational centres open during this time.

For myself being a synchronized figure skater, the last year has been stunted drastically; not being able to hold on to each other and limiting the ice to only half the occupancy are just some of the many ways things have changed. The opening of recreational centres should be prioritized over amusement and water parks, county fairs and live music events, as there is no other place for athletes to practice. 

This petition is a call to action for the Ontario Government to reconsider its current reopening plan where arena’s are currently reopening in phase 3.