The city of Ottawa is restricting the number of people who can use outdoor recreational facilities at a time.
The city is limiting the capacity of ice rinks, sledding hills, and trails for walking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-biking to 25 at one time.
These regulations will take effect on Sunday, December 26 at 12:01 am and will apply to City and privately managed outdoor amenities.
Limits and restrictions effective December 26th include:
- The capacity limit is determined by the number of people able to maintain a distance of two metres, up to a maximum of 25 people (with some exceptions as posted)
- The 25-person limit applies at entrances and other points of potential congestion on skating trails and ovals (such as the Brewer Skating Oval)
- All participants must maintain a physical distance of two metres, with the exception of members from one household
- Outdoor refrigerated rinks have different capacity limits and each one has its limit posted on-site; the same two-metre distancing requirements apply
- Masking is required for anyone who accesses the outdoor recreational amenity, including spectators, and highly recommended when engaging in physical activity
- Indoor changerooms and indoor clubhouses, excluding bathrooms, are to be closed to the public
The city is also asking operators to take steps to avoid crowding like creating one-way traffic flows, post signage in a highly visible location detailing the capacity limits and the physical distancing and masking requirements.
These new capacity limits will also impact four City outdoor refrigerated rinks – City Hall Rink of Dreams, Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne Park Skating Court, Ben Franklin Place Skating Rink and neighbourhood outdoor rinks and ice pads.