Hello everyone,

Message from the Oval Director

“Due to an unexpected mechanical failure, the Olympic Oval will be shutting down all three ice surfaces beginning Saturday, September 5. This will involve the temporary displacement of users training in the facility. 

We apologize for the inconvenience and we are working diligently with our partners to accommodate and relocate users groups where possible.

Though we are disappointed to compromise activities at the Oval, we are certain that our maintenance plan will be able to get the Oval ice back up to the highest operational standard.”

What does this mean for CSSA?

We will not begin our skating programs on September 8th. However, we will have dryland training sessions at Ecole Terre des Jeunes (3720 42 Street NW – same place as the summer dryland training) for the week of September 8.  We will be looking at alternative ice facilities and other arrangements for the following weeks.  We will also be looking at refunds based on the duration of the delay at the Oval.

Are Seton programs cancelled?

NO. The programs that train at the Olympic Oval are the only displaced sessions. If you are only registered to skate at Seton, you will begin on Tuesday Sept. 8th as planned. The YMCA is fully open and available for CSSA’s scheduled ice times.

Is anything happening the Week of Sept. 8 other than Seton?

YES! In the meantime, we have planned to host an Orientation week for all of our skaters! Technical Director Debby Fisher and her coaches have come up with a Dryland training schedule next week for all the Intro, Youth and Teen skaters that have registered for the 2020-2021 season.

What to expect?

As many of you know, this year we are treating our skating divisions as Cohorts. This means that the Dryland training sessions this week are your Cohort welcoming! You will have a chance to meet and interact with your cohort – whom you will be training with for the rest of the season, as well as familiarize yourself with the coaches who will be instructing you. Cohorts will be working independently from each other – there will be 3 cohorts on the field at once, but each group will train with the members of their group only, and will be assigned a specific section of the field.

*Please Note*

If it is raining, assume the practice to be cancelled unless otherwise stated.

Note for Parents – Isabella (Office Manager) will attend the first 30 min of each training session for any admin questions you may have. This is a chance for you to submit any outstanding waivers, documents, or cheques that you may have owe her.

Dryland Training Schedule:

Please review the Dryland training dates below and take note of when your group will be training.

Location: Ecole Terre Des Jeunes School – 3720 42 Street N.W

Click links above for more information on what to bring and directions on where to meet once you have arrived at the school.

Tuesday Sept 8 and Thursday Sept 10 – Dryland Training from 6:00 – 7:00 pm for the following groups:

·       Youth 1, Learn to Speed Skate, Intro to Speed Skating (combined as COHORT 1)

·       Youth 2 (COHORT 2)

·       Youth 3 (COHORT 3)

Wednesday Sept 9 and Friday Sept 11- Dryland Training from 6:00pm – 7:30 pm for the following groups:

·       Teen 1 (Cohort 4)

·       Teen 2 (Cohort 5)

·       Teen 3 (Cohort 6)

Upcoming Information:

CSSA will also be releasing a document to all members next week titled : Protocol to Enter the Oval – September 2020

Please look out for this as it will contain loads of information for you to go through. This document will explain everything you will need to prepare for. It is a guide on what to expect when arriving and training at the Olympic Oval this season. It will have instructions on how to submit important waivers, updated Emergency Response Plans, as well as answer your sanitizing/social distancing questions and concerns. CSSA and The Olympic Oval have collaborated to prepare this for you, hoping that this will facilitate your transition back to ice. We want to help you so that you have the appropriate orientation and preparation for your first skating session. We 100% recommend that you read and keep a copy of this document with you, should you need to refer back to any of the covered information during the season.

We are doing everything we can to get you on ice as smoothly and as soon as possible. As always, if you have any questions please contact us at isabella.salazar@calgaryspeedskating.ca or info@calgaryspeedskating.ca