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Ontario Climbing Gyms Join Together to Talk Reopening

No date has yet been set for a full reopening of facilities as of May 20

The newly opened Boulder Parc in Toronto has published a letter about the current state of climbing gyms in Ontario. Climbers across Canada are awaiting the good news that their local gym will open soon.

“Recently, gym owners in Ontario have banded together to put a plan to safely reopen our doors,” said Boulder Parc. “Although we are not ready to open yet, the collective of gyms in Ontario has put together a statement as follows to send out to our own communities.”

Ontario announced Phase I of their reopening framework under which closed businesses can begin to reopen. “While climbing is mentioned in the context of competitions, there is a lack of clarity as to if or under what conditions we can open for regular business.” See the Instagram post below for more.

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Hi climbers! Recently, gym owners in Ontario have banded together to put a plan to safely reopen our doors. Although we are not ready to open yet, the collective of gyms in Ontario has put together a statement as follows: The provincial government announced Phase I of the framework under which closed businesses could begin to reopen. While climbing is mentioned in the context of competitions, there is a lack of clarity as to if or under what conditions we can open for regular business. Over this time, the owners of Ontario’s climbing gyms have reached out to each other to share ideas, support, and insights on operating our facilities to protect our climbers, staff, and the wider community. We are fortunate to be part of a community where such collaboration exists. As a group, we are reviewing the government’s framework as well as guidelines from the Climbing Wall Association, Ontario Climbing Federation, Climbing Escalade Canada, and the experiences of jurisdictions which have already reopened, so that when each gym is open again it is in a way that is sustainable within the inherent risks of being active during COVID-19. Thank you to all of our members for your love and patience as we’ve weathered in the last few weeks. The shutdown is doing its job. The rate of infections in Ontario continues to fall. While we all want things to return to normal, we are aware that doing so in haste will undo the sacrifices made. We look forward to climbing with you again, Sincerely Boulder Parc Team

A post shared by Boulder Parc (@boulderparc) on

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