In the midst of the holiday season, we hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy and will able to enjoy some time (virtually) with family and friends.
The Premier has announced that the province will be going into lockdown effective December 26 for 28 days (regions in northern Ontario will be in Lockdown for 14 days). It has been confirmed with the Ministry that high performance sport will continue to be allowed under this existing exemption, so this remains status quo for those who have already been training in lockdown regions. For those experiencing lockdown for the first time and looking to navigate the restrictions in place, a brief summary is provided below for your awareness of our interpretation of these guidelines.
The following is a link to the specific regulations: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r20654. We recommend all members read the entire release to ensure you understand and abide by the new regulations.
The information below outlines some of the specific regulations applicable to Athletics Ontario members:
Facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities
(1) Facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities that meet the conditions set out in subsection (2) or the conditions set out in subsection (3), as applicable.
(2) A facility for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities may open if it meets the following conditions:
The facility is,
- operated by, or for the sole use of, persons who are athletes, coaches or officials training or competing to be a part of Team Canada at the next summer or winter Olympic Games or Paralympic Games, if the persons are,
- identified by a national sport organization that is either funded by Sport Canada or recognized by the Canadian Olympic Committee or the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and
- permitted to train, compete, coach or officiate under the safety protocols put in place by a national sport organization mentioned in sub-subparagraph A
Recreational amenities
(1) Each person responsible for an indoor or outdoor recreational amenity that is not in compliance with this section, and that is not a facility for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities that is permitted to open under section 48 of Schedule 2, must ensure that it is closed.
(2) The following outdoor recreational amenities may open if they are in compliance with subsection (3):
- Parks and recreational areas.
- Baseball diamonds.
- Batting cages.
- Soccer, football and sports fields.
- Tennis, platform tennis, table tennis and pickleball courts.
- Basketball courts.
- BMX parks.
- Skate parks.
- Golf courses and driving ranges.
- Frisbee golf locations.
- Cycling tracks and bike trails.
- Horse riding facilities.
- Shooting ranges, including those operated by rod and gun clubs.
- Ice rinks.
- Ski hills.
- Snow trails, including snowmobile, cross country ski and snow shoe trails.
- Playgrounds.
- Portions of parks or recreational areas containing outdoor fitness equipment.
(3) An outdoor recreational amenity described in subsection (2) may only open if,
(a) any person who enters or uses the amenity maintains a physical distance of at least two metres from any other person who is using the facility or place;
(b) team sports are not practised or played within the amenity;
(c) other sports or games that are likely to result in individuals coming within two metres of each other are not practised or played within the amenity; and
(d) any locker rooms, change rooms, showers and clubhouses remain closed, except to the extent they provide access to a washroom or a portion of the amenity that is used to provide first aid.
Athletics Canada has identified anyone on their CAPP list as fitting these criteria.
What does this mean for outdoor training?
- Outdoor training group sizes are limited to a maximum of 10.
- Members are expected to respect all guidelines specific to each outdoor location, and all facility closures.
Sanctioning and Events
- Based on these guidelines, Athletics Ontario will not be offering sanctioning for indoor events until further notice.
