Re-Opening Survey
Dear Baysville Curling Club members,
The Directors of the Baysville Curling Club are working to ascertain whether the club can open for the 2020/2021 curling season both safely and in a financially viable way, and we need your input.
On the safety front, we are relatively certain we can make modifications to club practices, playing schedules and ways of playing to ensure as safe an environment as possible. Curling Canada and Curling Ontario have released a resource called Return-to-Play Guidelines and based on their recommendations, and input from other clubs and health experts in our community, we are confident a safe-as-possible environment can be achieved. In order to maintain physical distancing recommendations and cleanliness standards changes COULD include but not be limited to:
Staggered start times so only one sheet is in use at a time
Three-person teams (only one sweeper)
Four-person teams with only one sweeper
No or limited bar service
No or limited use of the kitchen
No or limited use of locker rooms
No or limited bonspiels or events
No or limited Masters and Grand Masters
Enhanced cleaning protocols and perhaps hiring of professional cleaners
Wearing of masks
Requirement to use your own equipment i.e. no use of club brooms, sliders, stabilizers, etc.
Members having to sign Declarations of Compliance, and Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims and Indemnity Agreements (see examples in the Return-to-Play Guidelines document)
None of this has been decided upon—the list is to let you know that if we choose to open, it will be a very different curling season in ways that you may already anticipate and others that you have perhaps not considered.
At this time, the Township of Lake of Bays has not made a final decision about whether to open the arena but are proceeding as if to open. If the Township does not open the arena, we will be unable to open the curling club as we are dependent on their brine for our ice.
If we open for the 2020/2021 season, we will be more dependent than ever on our members to volunteer their time to ensure that safety protocols are implemented and followed; and to thoroughly clean the club, on a regular basis.
A further consideration is whether the club can afford to open for the season. Due to the cancelling of the 2020 Surf and Turf and triathlon, we already have a considerable revenue shortfall compared to last year. We expect decreased revenues throughout the season due to lower bar sales, no or decreased revenue from bonspiels, Masters, Grand Masters, external rentals, etc., and possibly fewer members signing up for the season. Costs to run the club may be higher due to cleanliness requirements.
As we are sure you are aware, there are considerable costs associated with installing and maintaining the ice, and we must ascertain if we can afford these costs. To that end, we are asking you to complete a questionnaire about your thoughts on returning to curl for the 2020/2021 season. Please note that you are NOT committing to curling or not curling by answering these questions, but your honest responses will help us make the best decisions for the future viability of the club. All responses are anonymous, but it would be extremely helpful if everyone would answer the questions by Friday August 21. If you are unable to answer the questions on-line, please contact Lili Davis-Burchat at 647-949-0186 and you can answer the questions by phone.
Thank you for your time and assistance,
Baysville Curling Club Board of Directors