CATCHING A WAVE
Armed with a wetsuit and a protective mask, Brandon Glinka hit the water behind Habitat 67 on Wednesday. Quebec will ease restrictions on activities that can be practised solo or in pairs outdoors, including surfing, as of next week.
Recreational sports will gradually be opened across the province, including in the Greater Montreal area, starting May 20.
Isabelle Charest, Quebec’s junior minister of education and minister for the status of women, said Wednesday that this revival will be divided into several phases, the first including only activities that can be practised freely outdoors, solo or in pairs, without having to share equipment and respecting a distance of two metres at all times.
Cycling, golf, tennis, hiking, rock climbing and several water sports practised on single boats are among the recreational activities that can resume next week.
National parks and wildlife reserves of the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ) network will reopen at the same time, but for daily activities only.
Some hiking and biking trails, as well as some lakes for day fishing, will be accessible “independently,” that is to say without access to service buildings, such as reception stations and toilets.
Even though public health directives on reopening have been delayed in the Montreal metropolitan area, which has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Montrealers will be no exception this time.
At a press conference, Minister Charest said she wanted to prevent city dwellers from being tempted to leave the city to clear their minds.
This revival of sports, leisure and outdoor activities should not be used as a pretext for gatherings and trips between regions, she added.
Along with the minister, Richard Massé, the strategic medical adviser to the public health branch, said the next wave of activities to get the green light from authorities will include supervised outdoor training, then competitions.
Asked about team sports that are more popular with young Quebecers, such as soccer, Massé raised the possibility of authorizing them by altering practices in order to minimize the number of players and the contact between them.
Sports federations and national leisure and outdoor organizations have been called upon to prepare instructions adapted to each discipline.
In addition, citizens who hope to be able to cool off in public swimming pools this summer might be allowed, because chlorinated water would not be conducive to the spread of COVID -19, explained Massé, who is more worried about a possible lack of respect for physical distancing measures in such a context.
Municipalities should, however, have the final say on the opening of their facilities.
Here is the complete list of activities that will be authorized as of May 20:
■ White water and calm water canoe and kayak
■ Running
■ Rock climbing
■ Kite surfing
■ Day fishing
■ Paddle boarding
■ Scuba diving, outdoor sports apnea
■ Horse riding
■ Hiking
■ Surfing
■ Athletics (running and throwing
events that take place outside)
■ Rowing (single boat only)
■ Speed canoe and kayak (single boat only)
■ Outdoor cycling activities
■ Golf
■ Sea kayaking
■ Open water swimming (lakes)
■ Roller skating on roads and tracks
■ Roller skiing
■ Outdoor singles tennis
■ Triathlon (open water swimming only)
■ Sailing (single boat only)