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‘I’m staring into this void’: Canadians are bracing for a home-alone holiday. Here’s how to make it work

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Knowing that she’ll be spending Christmas alone, Sjoukje van Beek, a graduate student at the University of Victoria, recently tried to make her studio apartment feel a bit more homey. She went to the thrift store, picked up one four-dollar and one six-dollar Christmas tree, plus some festive garland.

Normally, van Beek, 25, would be on a plane heading home to Waterloo, Ont., to enjoy the company of family and indulge in her mother’s Feast of the Seven Fishes cooking wizardry. But not this year.

“I think I’m just sad. It’s a stressful time of year, in terms of exams. I’m excited to be done with that. But it’s … sorry I’m going to start crying …”

She pauses to explain that her online classes at least afforded her a bit of human connection. Now, those have ended for the term.

“It kind of looks like I’m staring into this void.”

Across the country, untold numbers of the roughly four million Canadians who live by themselves are heeding calls to avoid travel and social gatherings and gamely planning to celebrate the holidays alone.

This week, Quebec Premier François Legault reversed an earlier decision to allow for Christmas gatherings, saying it was “not realistic” to think the province could slow the spread of COVID-19 sufficiently by the holidays. (The province is allowing a small exception for solo dwellers; they can have one visitor).

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, meanwhile, made an impassioned plea for his residents to stay apart during the holidays.

“I’m the guy who’s stealing Christmas to keep you safe, because you need to do this now,” he said.

Counsellors and life coaches say they’ve noticed anxiety levels ramping up due to the prolonged isolation and lack of clarity over “who can I be with” during the holidays.

“Everyone’s emotional bandwidth is so strained,” said Christina Ketchen, a Calgary-based personal development coach. “There’s a grimness in the air, for sure.”

During the initial stages of the pandemic, Ketchen said, her clients seemed to get by fine with video chats. But as the months wore on, fatigue set in. People missed being able to hug loved ones or share a meal. The changing COVID-19 restrictions have not helped.

“The unknown that is in the air around that is straining and stressful. You layer on the holiday season right around the corner, that’s a whole new stress and strain.”

For Toronto’s Jessica McDonald, a single mom who works in the hospitality industry but who was laid off due to the pandemic, the loss of the social interactions she normally gets through work has been hard-felt.

“I’m a very social person, that’s why I’m in the (hospitality) industry,” she said. “I’ve just been staying home and not being near anyone, just in case. I’m going crazy not doing anything.”

This Christmas will be especially difficult, she said, because it will be the first without her mother, who died last March. She also can’t go see her father, who is in a high-risk category for COVID-19.

Her 10-year-old son will be with his dad for Christmas this year, so she’s been trying to make the most of celebrating the Christmas season with him this month.

“That’s how I’m trying to cheer us up — more meaningful time with my son,” she said. “We go tobogganing, we watch a lot of Christmas movies.”

Steve Boyd, 65, is also planning to make the most of his solo Christmas. The Toronto grandfather of four relishes spending time with his grandkids, alternating between Toronto and Calgary, where his son and daughter live with their families.

The best part is Christmas morning.

“The important thing over the years raising my children was that moment, that Christmas morning when they come down the stairs and you’ve plugged in the tree, so it’s lit and the gifts are there and there are stockings,” Boyd said. “It’s magic.”

This year it’ll happen over video call — first with the Toronto kids, then, when they wake up in Mountain Time, the Calgary contingent.

“My son and I will be on FaceTime and he’ll show me (the kids) coming down the stairs, them seeing the tree, opening their gifts,” Boyd said. “It’s as close as you can get to actually being there.”

Boyd and the grandkids have also developed a FaceTime ritual wherein they stretch their arms out in front of them in a virtual embrace. “Fake hugs,” the kids like to call them.

Though it’s far from ideal, Boyd is not despairing over what he’s giving up by spending Christmas season alone. As much as possible, he’s trying to help other people adapt to a world where connection happens primarily online, reaching out even to acquaintances for a regular, “Hey, how are you doing?”

To him, it’s all part of learning to be alone.

“You have to find ways to be happy being with yourself, not just by yourself, but with yourself,” he said. “Sometimes that can be jarring but it’s OK.”

Thuy-vy Nguyen, a psychologist studying solitude at Durham University in the United Kingdom, says she’s observed that older adults have been coping pretty well with alone time compared to younger adults.

“Young adults seem more vulnerable to loneliness. Social activities are more rewarding to them,” Nguyen said. “I suspect with older adults — there’s just some practice prior to COVID-19. They prefer to have a few social connections and they’re more OK with having time for themselves.”

It was around Thanksgiving that van Beek, who is studying public administration, says she came to the realization she wouldn’t be heading home for Christmas.

And with promising news of a vaccine rollout in the coming months, it just made sense to stay put, she said.

“Why throw away all the effort I’ve put in when it’s hopefully just a little bit longer?”

While she’s doing her part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, she said she feels a bit frustrated sometimes listening to some of the messaging from public officials. When they talk about “households” they seem to forget those who live alone.

“Community is all we have. We’ve been ripped away from it.”

Experts who have studied solitude say the experience van Beek describes is common — everyone needs to connect and be with others, and it’s important to continue reaching out to family and friends through technology.

“Not all solitude is created equal, and one of the primary things that determines how we experience solitude is what causes it,” said Robert Coplan, a Carleton University psychology professor.

“The kind of solitude that seems to have the most beneficial effects is when it’s intrinsically motivated. It’s something we want to do.”

In other words, it helps to have a plan for what you’d like to do on your own, to reframe the need to self isolate as both a responsibility and an opportunity.

That’s exactly what van Beek has in mind. She’s got a couple of scrapbook projects in the works. She’s also been talking to classmates who will be spending the holidays alone about maybe doing a joint activity — like an art project — over Zoom.

She also recently posted a message on Instagram asking friends to send her their addresses so she could send them Christmas cards. She was surprised how many responses she got.

“Now I have about 70 Christmas cards to send out, so that’ll take up a lot of time. That’ll be a fun and time-consuming way to reconnect with those friends,” she said.

“It’s good right? It’s people that matter to me. You can express all sorts of things in a card.”

Experts says van Beek is on the right track.

They recommend solo dwellers avoid whiling away the hours watching Netflix. Instead, they should find projects to fill the time — whether it’s automating the light bulbs in their home, learning to knit a sweater or mastering a recipe.

Giving your day structure, Ketchen said, will help to keep loneliness at bay.

“There’s something to be said for planning,” she said. “What do I want my day to look like? Plan it out.”

Kira Lynne, a Vancouver-based life coach and counsellor, agrees.

“If we’re feeling down and we’re on the couch and the negative thoughts are spiralling, we’re less likely to say, ‘OK, I’m going to make a plan to meet someone,’” she said.

“If you have a plan, you’re less likely to come out of the holidays feeling worse than when you went in.”

Don’t be afraid to pamper yourself, she adds.

“If you’re alone this Christmas, you know what? Why don’t you make a big deal out of yourself,” she said.

“Make yourself a fancy dinner and fuss over yourself for that day. Do something nice for yourself.”

Ketchen has another tip for feeling less lonely.

“You’re at the grocery store and there’s a person there. Sure, they’re wearing a mask, but is there any reason why you can’t say, ‘Hello?’ or ‘I love your jacket. Where’d you get it?’ Just some form of human connection that makes us feel … human.”

Most importantly, keep things in perspective, Ketchen said.

“This is one moment in time. This is one Christmas that looks different,” she said.

“It will not look like this next year.”

is a Vancouver-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: is a Vancouver-based reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Thorncliffe Park Public School, first site of Ontario’s asymptomatic school testing, closes as cases climb

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Toronto school that’s the first site of the province’s voluntary mass asymptomatic testing program, has closed as cases climb.

East York’s Thorncliffe Park Public School is dismissing all students until at least Dec. 9, wrote principal Jeff Crane in a letter to parents and guardians on Thursday. Students and staff will not be allowed to enter the building until at least that date.

“As you know, Toronto Public Health (TPH) is continuing to investigate the 26 COVID-19 cases at the school. To allow them time to finish their investigation and to perform additional voluntary COVID-19 testing, they have advised that, based on the current situation, all students and staff at the school be dismissed,” he wrote.

The move to close comes after three teachers walked off the job Thursday. Jennifer Brown, president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto said almost half the student body at the school is now in isolation. With 24 students and two staff members testing positive, everyone is “walking on egg shells,” she said.

The school, near Don Valley Parkway and Millwood Road, is in a neighbourhood that’s been hard hit by . Asymptomatic testing was completed Monday, with more than 500 kids tested, out of a student body of 750. The province announced in the COVID hot spots of Toronto, York, Peel and Ottawa last week, as a way to get a better handle on spread in schools.

Brown said earlier Thursday that the number of cases at Thorncliffe is a concern. It’s been a “revolving door of cases” there, she said, since around Oct. 24 when an outbreak was first declared, and there have been 41 cases since the start of September. Eighteen classes and about 348 students are in isolation, along with 27 teachers, she said.

Brown believes cases in schools are being underestimated, as many children have mild COVID-19 symptoms or none at all.

The spread of the virus in schools has been a hot-button issue, with officials insisting they don’t seem to be drivers of transmission, while some experts, parents and teachers argue there’s not enough data to know the full picture.

Brown said Toronto Public Health has not been transparent about contact tracing, and how they determine which schools to close. She wants to keep schools open in general for students’ well-being, but they need “the tools” to be safe, such as smaller class sizes and more funding for ventilation systems.

“This is a pandemic why, are we nickel-and-diming the health and safety of students? It’s unacceptable.”

Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird said it’s “hard to speculate” on whether more staff will walk off the job at other schools as testing is rolled out. “It really comes down to an individual feeling that they think it’s unsafe,” he said.

“They’ve initiated this process this morning, the ministry of labour is involved, and we’re obviously trying to answer as many questions as we can to allay some of these concerns,” he said Thursday morning over the phone on his way to the school before the decision was made to close it.

Toronto Public Health spokesperson Dr. Vinita Dubey said in an email before the closure was announced that the agency continues to work with school boards to ensure protections are in place at schools, including daily screening and targeted testing.

“Decisions on whether or not schools should stay open are based on many factors including how many cases are related to the school, how many of the cases could have been acquired or spread in the school, and how well the school is implementing protective measures,” she said. “We also provide advice and recommendations to our local school boards to inform the school boards’ decisions on class and school dismissals.”

She added that “it is also important to remember that not all COVID-19 cases that are related to schools got their infection at school.” The agency does contact tracing in schools, but has still not resumed wider contact tracing in the community. It stopped contacting the close contacts of positive cases outside of outbreak settings in October, citing overwhelming case numbers.

Asymptomatic testing will also be carried out at the TDSB’s nearby Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute and Valley Park Middle School, as well as Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute in Scarborough. schools have also been selected: St. Fidelis, St. John the Evangelist and Chaminade College. York Region is targeting 30 schools, including those that don’t already have a problem with cases, to get a baseline.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce told reporters Thursday that the province began asymptomatic testing “in the highest-risk regions of the province … with the aim to identify” cases and reduce transmission among students, staff and their families.

“That’s why we launched, it,” he said, noting the high turnout for the Thorncliffe testing.

When asked about teachers there refusing to work, he said he appreciates their concerns, and that “the ministry of labour has a job, an independent review to ensure that staff, wherever they are working, are in a safe environment … and I have confidence in the process.”

He said public health makes the decisions on keeping schools open, but comparing Ontario to the rest of Canada or jurisdictions around the world, “we are still able to keep our schools open, and safe.”

But New Democrat MPP Marit Stiles, her party’s education critic, said the government should begin a comprehensive program of asymptomatic testing.

The province needs to track how COVID is being transmitted in schools, and testing in the four hot spots is not enough, because “basing them only in areas with the highest infection rates is really missing the point,” Stiles said in the legislature Thursday.

“I can assure you that no parent or guardian whose child has been exposed to COVID at school is comforted by this minister getting up in (the legislature) every single day to say, ‘Hey, relax, the kids are all right.’ Tell that to the families at Thorncliffe.”

May Warren is a Toronto-based breaking news reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

Libaan Osman is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email:

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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Large barn fire breaks out in New Tecumseth

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Emergency crews were called out to battle a large barn fire Nov. 23 at a farm property on the 11th Line.

The blaze broke out around 4:30 p.m. at the property, located between 15 and 20 Sideroad.

New Tecumseth Fire Chief Dan Heydon said the barn contained a large amount of hay, but no animals.

The cause remains under investigation and a dollar loss has not been estimated yet, he added.

Several firefighters attended the scene and tanker support was provided by neighbouring fire departments.

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‘We will need to continue to work together’: Simcoe County council names warden, deputy positions

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Tiny Township Mayor George Cornell was acclaimed to serve as Simcoe County Warden for a second term, until 2022.

He has served in the position for the past two years and spoke to council during the inauguration ceremony Dec. 8.

“Our unique situation presents challenges and opportunities,” Cornell said. “We will need to continue to work together to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, while addressing the pressing needs of our residents, businesses and community partners.”

Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin was nominated to serve as deputy warden for the second half of council’s term. Clearview Township Deputy Mayor Barry Burton was .

Dollin has served as chairperson of the county’s corporate services committee, sits on the county’s economic development sub-committee, and is a county representative with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. Dollin has also served as a member of the board of the Association of Municipalities (AMO), as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the AMO’s Ontario Small Urban Municipalities division. She was president of the AMO in 2016.

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Collingwood/Blue Mountains OPP need help identifying two men

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying two men in relation to an ongoing criminal investigation.

The investigation includes members of the OPP crime unit from Collingwood and The Blue Mountains. 

“Details cannot be released at this time to avoid jeopardizing any aspect of the investigation…” OPP said.

Photos of two men have been released by police for identification.

Anyone with information that would assist investigators are asked to contact Collingwood/The Blue Mountains OPP at  or if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at . You can submit your information online at or if you have any information on this crime or any other crime.   



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Most Ontarians favour small Thanksgiving gatherings and oppose trick-or-treating due to COVID-19, poll says

Oct 5, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Talking turkey and trick-or-treating will not be the same this year thanks to the , a new poll suggests.

The Campaign Research survey for the Star found most Ontarians favour small Thanksgiving gatherings this weekend and oppose the customary Halloween festivities on Oct. 31.

One third of those polled — 33 per cent — said only the people residing in a single household should celebrate Thanksgiving together.

Almost half — 48 per cent — said fewer than 10 people should gather for the traditional turkey dinner.

Ten per cent said Ontarians should be allowed to do whatever they want on the annual holiday while six per cent said between 10 and 25 people should be permitted to get together under one roof and three per cent had no opinion.

“There is a lot of noise out there, but the research suggests people are accepting what they have to do and accepting their own personal responsibility,” Campaign Research principal Nick Kouvalis said Sunday.

Campaign Research polled 1,017 people across Ontario last Wednesday through Friday using Maru/Blue’s online panel. It is an opt-in poll, but for comparison purposes, a random sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The firm found 60 per cent were opposed to letting children canvas for candy on Halloween due to the risks of COVID-19.

Only 33 per cent favoured pandemic trick-or-treating and eight per cent had no opinion.

While Premier Doug Ford recommended small gatherings for Thanksgiving and has , the Ontario government is not restricting the two October celebrations.

“Really, what it comes down to is … use your best judgment. I’ve got a lot of calls, ‘Should I go see my 80-year-old mother for Thanksgiving?’ You have to use common sense, and that really comes down to your family members,” Ford said Monday.

“Do we want you to tighten the circle? One hundred per cent we want you to tighten it. Do we want you to stick within the same group that you’re always around, be it family members? Absolutely,” he said.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said “with Thanksgiving coming up next weekend … if you have any very vulnerable family members, people over the age of 70 or people that may have pre-existing conditions, you may not want to get together with them to protect their health and safety.”

At city hall, Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, went further.

“Please do not hold a big ‪Thanksgiving dinner. Please limit your Thanksgiving dinner to the people you live with. If you live alone, your safest option is to join with others virtually,” said de Villa.

Kouvalis pointed out that “leaving aside government orders and recommendations from health officials, people are already telling us what they’re going to do.

“The research suggests the public doesn’t need the government to tell it what to do,” said the pollster, who has worked with Conservative and Liberal candidates across Canada and managed the winning Toronto mayoral campaigns of Rob Ford and John Tory.

“While there is a significant portion of the public that appears to want additional restrictions, they don’t need to be told.”

Some two-thirds of respondents — 67 per cent — agreed with the provincial government’s three-stage plan to reopen the economy with 30 per cent opposed and the rest unsure.

But with COVID-19 infections again on the rise, 62 per cent said they favoured a return to a modified Stage 2 where indoor restaurants and bars would be closed but schools would remain open.

About one-third — 31 per cent — opposed that and seven per cent had no opinion.

When Campaign Research asked about returning to Stage 2 with schools also being closed, support dropped to 53 per cent. More than one-third — 37 per cent — opposed that and nine per cent weren’t sure.

Kouvalis noted Ontarians appear to be wrestling with how things should proceed.

Campaign Research bored down and asked what is closer to Ontarians’ view today, with 39 per cent saying the province should remain in Stage 3 and 42 per cent wanting a more restrictive Stage 2 with restaurants, bars, gyms, banquet halls and schools closed for all indoor activity.

“That’s four out of 10 wanting things as they are and four out of 10 wanting to go back,” he said, adding 11 per cent wanted to go back to Stage 1 with government “stay home” orders and nine per cent weren’t sure.

“This is where the public is at. There’s a real split.”

Ontarians are also divided as to what the public health threshold should be for returning to Stage 2 as average new infections hover at around 600 a day.

About a quarter — 26 per cent — said the bar should be 500 to 600 new cases daily for a week while nine per cent said it should be 600 to 700 new cases and nine per cent said it should be 700 to 800. Three per cent said 800 to 900, four per cent said 900 to 1,000, and four per cent said more than 1,000.

But one third — 33 per cent — said the number of cases “doesn’t matter” as long as there are hospital beds available for those who have severe symptoms and need medical attention. Twelve per cent weren’t sure.

One issue that did not appear to be contentious was the wearing of masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Fully 87 per cent agreed with the current provincial edict making it mandatory to wear a mask indoors in public places, such as school and shops, and on transit. Only 11 per cent were opposed with two per cent unsure.

Even outdoor mask-wearing was acceptable with 83 per cent favouring that while 15 per cent were opposed and two per cent had no opinion.

With files from David Rider

is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Sketch of Barrie sexual assault suspect released

Oct 5, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Barrie police has released an artist’s rendition of a sexual assault suspect and created a dedicated tip line.

Investigators are looking for any information in connection with sexual assault in Hurst Park on Oct. 1 between 9 and 10 p.m.

The tip line is .

Police say a woman was walking her dog in the park located at when she was attacked by a male stranger. 

Police are releasing few details, including whether the victim was physically injured.

Officers have already done a door-to-door canvas of the immediate neighbourhood looking for information.

The suspect is described as:

• A white male between the ages of 16 and 26, about 5-feet, 8 inches tall, with a slim build and shaved blond hair.

• Wearing an Under Armour top of unknown colour.

Anyone with information is asked to call or , ext. 2700, send an email to , by contacting Crime Stoppers at (8477), or leave an anonymous tip online at .

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New COVID-19 testing clinic at site of former Barrie police station

Oct 5, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Barrie’s former police headquarters will serve an important public health purpose for the foreseeable future.

To address overwhelming demand, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre opened a new COVID-19 testing clinic at Sept. 28. It currently offers pre-booked appointments.

Later this week, the Sperling site will allow drive-thru testing from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., letting the clinic at the RVH campus on Georgian Drive begin operating on shortened hours (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) seven days per week.

“Our on-site COVID-19 test clinic has seen an overwhelming spike in visits recently, going from an average 230 people per day to a staggering 500 or more,” chief nursing executive Liz Ferguson said. “In fact, we will soon surpass 25,000 swab tests completed since opening six months ago.”

The RVH campus clinic is expected to close and fully relocate to Sperling within the next two weeks. By November, the Sperling clinic will become a full COVID-19 assessment centre, offering similar services to the site at .

The Sperling site has sat vacant since earlier this year, when police moved into the new Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus on Fairview Road. 

COVID-19 appointments at Sperling can be booked at . 

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‘More information is prudent’: Barrie council now has a map of most social service locations

Oct 5, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Barrie council can see your social-service organization pretty clearly now.

At council’s request, municipal staff recently built a city-wide map that lists the location of more than 20 types of social services — from financial assistance and shelter programs, to Indigenous centres and health-care facilities.

This map contains more than 850 data points, mostly collected from County of Simcoe and 211 Ontario resources. Barrie’s Geographic Information System (GIS) branch also developed an online, interactive element.

“The web map allows users to identify and find social services within a specified distance of an address, location or point on the map by the applying buffer distances; (it) highlights information about the organization such as the services it provides, address, phone number and website,” GIS manager Brent Harlow said.

Locations of sensitive services, like women’s shelters, are not included.

However, this map should help council members make informed planning decisions, Coun. Mike McCann said.

“We are going to be a drastically-changed city,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of different services coming to council that would like to be a part of Barrie. More information is prudent. This has got to be a strong foundation for a guiding document; any time we have social services coming into our downtown, we’re very quickly able to see where all the social services are to make sure they’re not clustered together.”

To view the map, visit .

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Bradford replaces Christmas parade with ‘Spot Santa’ event amid COVID-19 pandemic

Oct 5, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The town of Bradford West Gwillimbury is celebrating the holidays while keeping COVID-19 restrictions in mind.

The town is bringing Santa Claus to residents through a “Spot Santa” event on Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 where people are able to see Santa as he travels across the town.

Santa and his mini float will be visiting the urban areas of Bradford on Nov. 21 and will visit Bond Head on Nov. 28. 

A route map and an approximate schedule will be published closer to the event date on social media and at . 

Residents are also encouraged to share on social media when they see Santa by using the hashtag #SpotSantaBWG so their friends and neighbours know to be on the lookout.

The town is reminding residents to remember that if they go on the sidewalk to see Santa to ensure their family is following physical distancing guidelines and avoiding public gatherings.

The “Spot Santa” event is in place of the annual Santa Claus parade and the event at Henderson Park, which would have accommodated only a limited number of participants.

For at-home seasonal fun, go to online starting Nov. 18 to purchase an activity bag, which includes snowman crafts, cookie decorating kit, hot chocolate and more. The cost is $10 per bag and kits will be available for pickup at the BWG Leisure Centre. More information can be found at .