The City of St. John’s is lifting its “walk through only” restrictions in municipal parks effective immediately.
City-owned tennis courts, meanwhile, will be available for play by Friday, May 29th. The provincial government lifted its restriction on outdoor tennis courts last week.
The Loop at Bannerman Park is now open with a maximum capacity of 15 people.
Effective immediately, the City lifting its “walk through only” restriction in municipal parks.
As long as physical distancing is maintained, patrons can now avail of passive open spaces within parks for activities that are not prohibited.
All details: https://t.co/2th8J5DlpM pic.twitter.com/BN1fDa7mYT
— City of St. John's (@CityofStJohns) May 26, 2020
Exceptions include team sports, while recreational facilities including all playgrounds, pools, picnic areas, dog parks, and the duck pond at Bowring Park remain closed.
City officials say outdoor activities including walking, hiking, and riding are encouraged as long as physical distancing can be maintained.
Trails ‘Overrun’ as People Seek Replacements for Shuttered Paths and Parks
Wildnerness trails are being “overrun” with people thanks to COVID restrictions that have closed some other parks and trails.
That’s according to Chris Jerrett, an avid cyclist, and owner of Free Ride. He took to Facebook to express his concerns about overcrowding on open trails, something he says has reached dangerous levels.
He’s not sure if closing the parks is solving, or creating problems. He estimates 75 per cent of serious mountain bikers gravitate to the trails in the White Hills, which he says are now seeing a big increase in the number of hikers who may not understand how they’re used by mountain bikes.
Jerrett questions whether or not it makes sense to start opening closed trails to relieve the congestion.
He asks anyone using the shared-use trails to be courteous to one another.