Last week, Swift Current Online reached out to the city of Swift Current Community Services Department in regard to the status of the city's rink facilities in light of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, potential lack of use and whether or not some facilities would be closed temporarily in order to mitigate the economic fallout from the restrictions.

In an email response, Jim Jones, General Manager of Community Services, said that while they are taking it two weeks at a time as the province opts to either extend its restrictions or not, they have managed to deploy staff from other facilities to the outdoor rinks while finding other cost-saving measures.

 

“We have already deployed staff from facilities and Kinetic Park to Parks (Outdoor Rinks) and laid off seasonal workers for a period of time. 
We are taking it two weeks at a time, and as the Premier and SaskHealth make announcements, we hold our breath. If Swift Current Minor Hockey decides to not have practices of 45 minutes with only 8 participants or if they announce publicly that there will not be any games allowed to the end of March, then we may have to look at other alternatives.
When the condition of outdoor ice was poor due to warm weather, we could not flood, reducing staffing requirements. So we appreciate the colder weather.
Community Services staff have been great as we try and protect our full-time workers first.” 
Jim Jones - GM Community Services

 In the latest update from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, dated January 13, 2021, they have said that during a call with Ken Dueck of the provincial government's Business Response Team (BRT), it was announced that there would indeed be no consideration of a return-to-play for at least four weeks and that a return to games is unlikely to happen before the end of March.

Dueck added however that U18 training with 8 players would continue.