Safety within our recreation and culture facilities is a top priority in Strathcona County. While you can expect to have a safe and fun experience in our facilities, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of injury or theft.

Theft happens

When you visit a recreation or culture facility, it's best to leave your valuables at home, if possible. Risk of theft can change with trends, and sometimes thefts will happen in waves. We work with the RCMP Crime Prevention Unit to continually monitor and address ongoing crime concerns.

Tips to minimize your risk of theft:

• Lock wallet and keys in a wallet locker. Free tokens are available at the front desk
• Lock team dressing rooms. Keys are available at the front desk
• Report any suspicious activity to staff
• Park your car in well lit areas
• Hide valuables out of sight or carry them with you
• Lock your car at all times

Changeroom use

Strathcona County works to provide a spectrum of change room options to ensure the comfort of all visitors to recreation facilities. There are a number of factors to consider including infrastructure, accessibility, ages and gender.

• Strathcona County aims to provide a welcoming environment to all users of our recreation facilities. 
• We encourage guests to consider their own comfort, as well as the comfort of others when using change rooms. 
• Strathcona County suggests children ages 6 years and older use their gender appropriate change room. 
• Newer facilities (Millennium Place, Emerald Hills Leisure Centre, Kinsmen Leisure Centre) have either universal, family or specialty change rooms, with individual changing stalls available for use.
• Specific to Millennium Place, the following changerooms are available:
  • Male/Female – Aquatics/Pool changerooms, with individual changing stalls available
  • Male/Female – Wellness Centre changerooms, with individual changing stalls available
  • Universal – individual changerooms available, with a group shower area
  • Specialty changerooms – changeroom equipped with special needs shower equipment that can also be used for a private change stall, when required.
• Older facilities have male and female changerooms and dressing rooms, with individual stalls available for changing.
• Arenas have dressing rooms and referee dressing rooms (often used for female players or female referees) – Ardrossan, Moyer, Strathcona Olympiette Centre, Sherwood Park Arena/Shell, Broadmoor, Glen Allan.
• Staff are available to assist with addressing specific inquiries.
• As older facilities are upgraded, planning will consider the widest range of patron needs as possible.

Use of recording devices

Use of personal recording devices (Eg: smart phones, tablets, cameras, etc) is permitted within the following guidelines:

• Photo(s) or video(s) include members of your family or group only.
• Expressed permission is granted from other public participants featured in the recording. Be considerate of others who may be in the background of your recordings, especially when photographing/recording an activity such as swimming lessons.
• Use of recording devices within any facility washroom, changeroom and/or dressing room is not permitted.

Staff have the authority to dismiss any persons who do not abide by these guidelines. Public participants are encouraged to be courteous of other people’s rights to privacy and vigilant by reporting any suspicious use of recording devices to a staff member immediately.

Water safety

When you visit an aquatics facility please ensure you are making safe decisions. The following guidelines have been developed to make your experience fun and safe. View our age access guide (388.8 KB) for child supervision age guidelines.

• Children under the age of 8 must be supervised from within arms reach in the water. Supervision from a sitting position the pool edge is not permitted.
• Diving board / Tarzan rope supervision (Kinsmen Leisure Centre)
  • Supervision of children using the diving board or Tarzan rope must be done from outside the water.
  • Catching children or swimming to them after they have jumped is not permitted.
  • If you are unsure of your child’s swimming ability, ask a lifeguard for a lifejacket.
  • Life jackets may be used on the low diving board and Tarzan rope.

Water quality

Strathcona County is proud to use leading edge technology and innovation to provide world-class water quality. However, it is always important to do your part to keep our pools clean and the germs out.

• Lotion, sweat, cosmetics and dirt use up pool chemicals' power, leaving less power to kill germs and this is why it's important to take a 2-3 minute cleansing shower before you swim.
• Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea or feel sick.
• Poop contamination = pool closure for 7 to 24 hours to maintain a high-quality of safe and clean water. This can result in cancelled lessons and recreation swims for hundreds of people.
• Don't pee or poop in the water.
• Check swim diapers every 30 to 60 minutes. Swim diapers are available for purchase at the front desks.

Public Health Act AR 247/85 s22

Half-ice rink dividers