Important Follow Up on COVID Regulations
May 21, 2021
We were thrilled with the news that came out yesterday allowing recreational boating to resume and boating clubs to be open under the revised Regulations that come into effect on Saturday, May 22nd, 2021.
We worked very hard to get information out as quickly as possible yesterday to help share the information about the changes but wanted to follow up today with some more clarity (where we can) on some areas that we are getting questions on.
Below represents our understanding of the Regulations. We encourage each organization to check in with their insurance company to ensure they are covered for their activities and to check that their local municipality does not have any stricter restrictions in place.
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Structured Programs – No classes, training, or lessons are currently permitted. The rules are to allow recreational boating, launching, and preparing for launch. Coaching and/or instructing are not permitted.
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Racing – Racing at this stage is not allowed.
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Gatherings – 5 people is the limit for any gathering, so if a group is standing in the parking lot or on the dock talking there cannot be more than 5 people in the group (regardless of whether people are in the same household or not; it is not 5 households, it is 5 people.)
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Overnight Stays – The Regulations are not very clear however at campsites, only people with a seasonal contract or in need of housing are permitted to stay overnight. We recommend clubs check with their local municipalities for direction.
It is important to remember that the Stay-at-Home order is still in place and that individuals need to ensure they are following all the Regulations currently in effect in the province. We cannot lose sight of these overarching Regulations simply because we were fortunate to see some flexibility provided to open Boating Clubs and Boat and Watercraft launches with the current amendments.
While the government shared a lot of information yesterday about the steps to reopening once the Stay at Home is lifted and what the next few months may look like, we will all need some patience as we await more information. We will need both future announcements around timing, but more importantly, the actual Regulations as to what will be included at each Step and how those impact sailing and boating in Ontario. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and work diligently to get you updates as soon as possible following the release of Regulations.
Stay Safe and Please Follow the Regulations.
