Resources and Procedures under COVID mitigation in Canada (June 29, 2020)

OCTOBER 2020 — CORA clubs and paddlers are responsible participants in public health and must comply with guidance from provincial, regional and local public health officers and health authorities, as amended from time to time. For clubs and paddlers whose communities have moved into “phase 2” and “phase 3” COVID-mitigation environments (provincial naming equivalents vary), links to mitigation resources and guidelines are set out below. Provided that local authorities permit paddling activities within their pre-vaccine/pre-therapeutic phases, CORA clubs are urged to draw from mitigation resources and guidelines to develop their own access-to-sport strategies and communicate them to their paddlers. Individual clubs will also be governed by specific circumstances, including conditions imposed by landlords and physical access and space constraints. As each jurisdiction and province approaches C0V2 and associated cold-and-flu mitigation over the 2020/2021 winter, Canada is unified in its commitment to public health initiatives designed to minimize individual and collective harm as a result of SARS-C0V-2. Please continue to follow the guidance of local and regional health authorities as they pertain to our sport and to how facilities are managed at this time.

In British Columbia, the fall 2020 introduction of Phase 3 Return-to-Sport (September 2020) permits the safe and staggered roll-out of “cohort” crew boat training. CORA has worked with viaSport guidance, along with direction from other relevant authorities, to provide BC CORA clubs and paddlers with guidance for the safe re-introduction of crew boat training. CORA’s guidelines are NOW AVAILABLE for clubs and crew paddlers to review as each facility considers compliance and procedures unique to their circumstances. As each BC club considers its phase-3-compliant “cohort” procedures, all BC member clubs and solo paddlers should continue to adhere to phase-1 and phase-2 guidelines presently in place.

CORA’s board of directors is available to respond to the questions of club managers, commodores and leadership volunteers charged with developing their next-step guidelines. BC member club representatives will be contacted over the coming days as they consider phase-3 procedures.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of CORA’s Phase 3 Return-to-Sport Guidelines (PDF / APPLICABLE TO BRITISH COLUMBIA)

AS OF SEPTEMBER, 2020 (in British Columbia under Phase 3 sport guidelines): 

1. the use of solo boats (OC1s) and cohort-managed crew boats are permitted under specific guidelines;
2. paddlers should use personal equipment whenever possible (e.g. PFDs, paddles and private boats);
3. in instances where shared equipment is the only option, clubs and facilities must supply cleaning and sanitizing products and procedures, and provide measures that ensure that cleaning and sanitizing is reliably performed; documented plans that detail mitigation steps and the safe use of and access to shared equipment, resources and facilities are required by most local health authorities; 
4. paddlers must not congregate on docks, on the water or on shore in a manner that does not meet 2-meter physical-distancing between individuals, or that exceeds group limits as set out by local authorities (e.g. 6 or 10, for example); 
5. where individual paddlers are accessing club environments or common property (e.g. docks, equipment, facilities), records must be kept of their names, visit times, and contact information in the event that contact tracing is required by local authorities;
6. paddlers who do not feel well, or who live in households with individuals with COVID or who exhibit COVID-like symptoms, should stay at home and seek medical advice; and
7. at this time, on-water sports governed by national sport organizations (NSOs) do not permit competitive activities (e.g. races). 

With accountable measures in place, outrigger paddlers in communities under current access-to-sport mitigation protocols can enjoy rewarding solo (OC1) recreational activity on the water. For detailed information, please review the useful links as set out below.