Canadian Tire Centre and Sensplexes Offered as Space for Covid-19 Care Centres
The buildings and parking lots offered for use as “whatever type of clinic would be appropriate”
Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators have offered free use of the Canadian Tire Centre, it’s parking lots, as well as the three Sensplex locations to the Ontario government for use as temporary Covid-19 care centres, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
The offer was made last week, and was for roughly 200,000 square feet of space at the CTC including any of the nine parking lots, “some or all” of about 17 unleased suites and other space in the arena and concourse areas. Space would also be available in the three Sensplex locations in Gloucester, Kanata, and in the rural west end near Kinburn.
The club confirmed the offer was for space for a temporary or even “field” hospital, quarantine or isolation rooms, or whatever type of clinic would be appropriate should a surge in patients overwhelm the regular health system.
The team has also committed to keeping the critical infrastructure and loading docks of the CTC staffed and running at the time.
So far, temporary Covid-19 facilities in Ottawa have been set up in publicly owned facilities. First the Assessment Centre in the Brewer Park Arena, and soon a Care Clinic in the former D. Aubrey Moodie Intermediate School.
This is a fantastic gesture from Melnyk and the team, but hopefully an offer that the province will not need to take them up on.
