Skate Canada Covid 19 Update

In recent weeks, the global spread of COVID-19 has brought Skate Canada and many other organizations into unchartered territory. As always, Skate Canada’s focus is the health and safety of our members, registrants and staff.

We have been proactive in taking measures to prepare and keep our community informed as the pandemic has progressed and will continue to provide updates as we navigate our way through this situation. Due to the fluidity of COVID-19, Skate Canada has created a dedicated webpage as a primary resource for our members and registrants.

We wanted to provide Skate Canada clubs and skating schools with some important information and clarifications:

What constitutes a Skate Canada sanctioned activity and program?

Skate Canada sanctioned activities and programs can include, but are not limited to:

• CanSkate
• STAR 1-5
• CanPowerSkate
• All other club/school programming
• Competitions, camps or seminars
• Skating carnivals
• Ice shows

Please be advised that if these activities are held during the suspended period, they will not be covered under Skate Canada insurance policies.

Administrative duties carried out by clubs, schools and sections are still permitted. Administrative duties can include, but are not limited to:

• Answering emails and phone calls
• Preparing administrative materials
• Organizing individual and group progress sheets and report cards
• E-learning courses
• Other online or virtual tasks

Skate Canada activities held online or virtually, following social/physical distancing guidelines established by the provincial and federal governments, are permitted. If you are unsure if your activity is permitted, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-888-747-2372.

Private rinks in my area are still operating. Can we book the ice for Skate Canada activities?

All Skate Canada sanctioned activities are suspended until further notice. If Skate Canada members or registrants choose to continue skating and offer lessons/programing, they are choosing to ignore Skate Canada’s direction and will not be covered under Skate Canada insurance policies. We highly recommend any such events and activities be cancelled immediately and our skating community follow social distancing and other guidelines emphasized by the provincial and federal governments and local public health authorities.

How are clubs/skating schools going to host their AGMs if they cannot gather in person?

Clubs and skating schools are encouraged to hold their AGM virtually/online. There are many virtual meeting platforms available. Webex is offering free services on their platform (up to 100 participants) to help organizations get through this difficult time.

For online voting, Skate Canada uses Simply Voting. Simply Voting is a web-based online voting system that will help you manage your elections easily and securely. However, there are many other platforms available that offer similar services and we encourage our clubs and skating schools to explore options.

Is there business interruption insurance for clubs/schools due to COVID-19? 

Business interruption coverage does not cover interruptions caused by COVID-19.  Business interruption coverage is when the suspension is caused by a direct physical loss, damage, or destruction to the property.

The Government of Canada has launched a COVID-19 Economic Response Plan to support for Canadians and businesses. You can find more information about this program here.

It is more important than ever that you stay informed. Skate Canada shares all of its information on the dedicated COVID-19 webpage and we encourage you to review the information regularly. We continue to face these challenges together, and we want to thank all of you for your dedication, patience and understanding as we work collectively through this unprecedented time.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or 1-888-747-2372.