Hi Riverdale –Â
With the announcement that the Royals will be reopening as of January 31 as per government reopening guidelines, we are excited to announce that Riverdale will be returning as of February 6! Please read this email carefully to know what will be expected and information for restarting the season.
COVID-19 Protocols
We are reminding members that we each have responsibility to follow government and Royals guidelines on COVID. Every member has signed the COVID Compliance agreement before the beginning of the season, and we will be held to it based on public health guidelines. COVID protocols have changed to some degree due to Omicron, so please read carefully.
- If you are not feeling well, do not come to the Club.
- You must be prepared to show your Proof of COVID Vaccination QR code on demand when at the club – if you have not yet downloaded the Proof of Vaccination with a QR code, you can do so here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/get-proof/
- Do not arrive at the Club more than 15 minutes before your draw.
- Wear a mask when not on the ice. In particular, we have been advised that the Club expects you to wear a mask in all interior spaces except while seated AND actively eating or drinking.
- Anyone at the club during a time that they are not scheduled to be there (for example, sparing, practicing) must sign the contact tracing form on the piano. This includes if you practice or spare before or after your normal draw time.
- Masking on the ice is not required, but it is strongly encouraged.
If you are unsure whether you should enter the Club, please consult the province’s guidelines on COVID isolation requirements: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/exposed. We continue to ask that all members adhere to the Toronto Public Health guidelines (https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-what-you-should-do/) should you develop symptoms or have a positive test, and please email the executive at riverdale@gaycurl.ca to help facilitate contact tracing as necessary.
The Club has also indicated that air filters are being installed in the lounge and change rooms before curling returns.
As a reminder – booster shots have proven effective at increasing protection against the Omicron variant and further preventing risk of severe disease compared to two shots. We strongly encourage all members to book a booster shot as soon as possible, if you haven’t already: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/
With the increased contagiousness of the Omicron variant, it is also recommended that masks should be KN-95 or better – a well-fitted KN-95 or N-95 mask protects the wearer as well as everyone else in the club by ensuring air travels through the filter instead of around it. A high-quality mask is an excellent way to protect yourself and others both on and off the ice.Â
If necessary, teams can play with only one regular team member to ensure games take place and players feeling unwell can stay home without the risk of forfeiting a game. Please be as accommodating as possible with spares, we are all here to have fun.
Updated Schedules
As we promised before, the schedule from round 1 has been moved forward intact into the new draw dates:
Former Draw Date | New Draw Date |
December 19, 2021 | February 6, 2022 |
January 9, 2022 | February 13, 2022 |
Family Day Break February 20, 2022 | |
January 16, 2022 | February 27, 2022 |
The updated schedule is here: https://toronto.gaycurl.ca/schedule1/ (or the online calendar version here: https://toronto.gaycurl.ca/events/month/2022-02/)
Also note – we have determined that there will only be two rounds this season due to the five lost Sundays. The new season calendar (with the dates we will play) is here: https://toronto.gaycurl.ca/members/Riverdale_Calendar.pdf
Our finals weekend remains May 7-8, 2022.Â
Second Half Fees Due
For anyone that paid for a half season, the remaining $200 is now due. Please make payment to payments@gaycurl.ca or by following the PayPal link here: https://toronto.gaycurl.ca/documents/RiverdalePayment2021.html
If you have any questions, please reach out to Riverdale@gaycurl.ca.
Additional Opportunities to Curl and Practice
The Club has offered us the option of using several Saturdays to make up for some of the lost ice time. Since this is a departure from our usual Sunday-only schedule, the executive has decided to make three optional dates available for members to enjoy.Â
On that note:
Family Day: Riverdale will be holding a beginner’s mid-season clinic, which will include an opportunity to practice form and play a game with other clinic participants. There will also be the opportunity for mixed-division pick-up/rec games for anyone interested in getting more ice time, while allowing members to play against members outside of their regular league divisions.Â
You can sign up if you are interested here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x9KaB2eSmMnrYz10K4TiW-5u_WpB6ugg-ogRxV6yx-A/edit?usp=sharing
We have also indicated that Riverdale will take Saturday, April 2 and Saturday, April 23 as dates for recreational Riverdale curling in some capacity. More information will be provided closer to the dates. If you have any suggestions for how to use these April dates, please feel free to share them by emailing Riverdale@gaycurl.ca.Â
NOTE: Games played on Family Day, April 2 and April 23 will not affect standings.
In Conclusion
Thank you!!! We’re excited to be back to curling and grateful to our members for being flexible and patient. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as required by public health and club guidelines. If there are any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the executive.
See you on the ice, February 6.
Edward
—
Edward Dodd
Vice President
Riverdale Curling League
http://toronto.gaycurl.ca/