Cochrane mayor Denis Clement wants to be perfectly clear. There is no truth behind a rumour that the Commando Pavilion will be kept closed once COVID-19 restrictions are eased enough to allow it to open.
“The pavilion will be reopened once it is safe for the community, once the lockdown and once the Porcupine Health Unit gives us the okay to reopen again,” the mayor says unequivocally.
Clement says there’s no desire coming from council to keep the lakeside facility shut down long term. He adds that it would make no sense, just to save a bit of infrastructure money.
“It’s going to be an opportunity to have people gather in the community who haven’t been out for basically a year. It would be no advantage to keeping it closed long term. Absolutely not.”