Sylvan Lake is a well known tourist destination in Alberta, but Town officials are asking visitors to stay away for the time being.
With temperatures on the rise, and the May long weekend less than a month away, many are looking for an alternative to staying at home. However, the Town is saying now is not the time to visit Sylvan Lake.
Director of Emergency Management Ron Lebsack says it is important to remain at your primary place of residence during the outbreak and to continue following the advice of the province and the Chief Medical Officer.
“What we need to emphasize, is that to prevent a local health outbreak – to prevent that overwhelming impact on our local health services, which are already limited, is to stay home – your primary home, and visit us later once Alberta Health and our Chief Medical Officer of Health determines it safe to do so,” Lebsack said in a press release.
Many preventative measures have been put in place to discourage visitors from coming to the lakeside town.
These measures include:
• All public washroom facilities are closed
• All playgrounds, and sport park/amenities are closed
• Sporting activities are not permitted, green spaces and trails are for individual use only, and proper social distancing is being enforced
• Picnic shelters are closed
• All events and gatherings are cancelled until further notice
• Additional measures may be implemented, as needed
There is a possibility these measures may be extended with addition deterrents in the coming days and weeks.
The ask for visitors to stay home is also extended to the cottagers, those who have a secondary home or cottage in Sylvan Lake.
“We have a large seasonal population that returns to their cottages, lake homes, or secondary residences, once the snow melts, and we are reinforcing the message of Alberta, and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, which is to please stay in your primary residence while we all try to mitigate the COVID-19 situation,” said Jared Waldo, culture and tourism supervisor with the Town.
Being a popular destination, the Town asks all visitors to put off their trips to the lakefront until after the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end.
Mayor Sean McIntyre said on Facebook that “Sylvan Lake is worth the wait.”