COVID update--Please read
There are many questions we have already sent out to both OMHA and City of Kawartha Lakes for clarification. Both parties have provided us with important information--we have attached and provided a link to these documents.
We will provide updates as often as we can over the next few weeks before the kids are to step on the ice.
Please take the time to read through all this information as we are sure that you will have many questions and we as an association are no different.
Important to note: These decisions have been made by the OMHA and City of Kawartha Lakes. We as Sturgeon Lake Minor Hockey are obligated to follow the rules and regulations provided.
For the complete OMHA vaccination policy, click here.
For information on City of Kawartha Lakes Ice use protocols, click here.
For information on City of Kawartha Lakes Representative Responsibilities, click here.
The City of Kawartha Lakes provides our children a facility in which to play in and the OMHA provides us the ability to conduct programming with other centres, along with many other items.
Key note:
As of September 22nd all persons (including spectators) entering the arena over the age of 12 will be required to prove their vaccination status to Sturgeon Lake Minor Hockey before entering as per the City of Kawartha Lakes. The OMHA guidelines do indicate any player born in 2009 or earlier will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 31st. This means that the player will have to have had two vaccines plus the 14 day period after the second shot. While the OMHA documents does not address spectators directly their following statement ties in with the City of Kawartha Lakes mandate.
It should also be noted that individual owners/operators of arenas and facilities used by the OMHA or any Association or Team, may impose their own vaccination requirements for hockey spectators.
Many of the existing requirements requested by the OMHA and City of Kawartha Lakes are the same or similar to last year for items such as:
1) contact tracing
2) masking
3) entering and exiting the building
4) social distancing
5) limited amount of players, coaches, and spectators allowed in the facility
One item that many of you may not be aware of is the the City of Kawartha Lakes will also be taking a firm stance on offending organizations. In the Ice Use Protocols they point out the repercussions for organizations who do not adhere to the requests guidelines.
We as an association do not want to be in the position where our ice privileges have been revoked and we can no longer provide programming to the players.
We as an association are requesting that all parents and players have patience and co-operation while we navigate these changes going forward. There may be changes to the policies and guidelines before we start on the ice and we as an association will communicate them as they come available. We are working on providing every parent guidelines for when the player and parents are attending their first ice time. This will be sent out over the next we or two.
Thanks for you cooperation.
SLMHA Executive