Good Evening CSSA,
As each week passes, we are hopeful that we are that much closer to stepping back into the Olympic Oval. It has been a difficult year with very unprecedented and unfortunate obstacles. We are very proud of our memberships’ patience, cooperation, and accommodation throughout this difficult year. The efforts demonstrated by our skaters, coaches, parents, and the rest of the CSSA community have motivated the Organization to continue with this skating season despite all of the challenges. Thank you for helping us continue to run the best Speed Skating Club in Calgary!
With that said, Summer has passed and it is now that time of year – the days are getting shorter, and cold temperatures soon await. The Organization is aware that sooner or later we will have to begin the transition of moving back indoors. Our Technical Director and Board Members are working very hard to establish where we will be able to train when it is time to go back inside. One of the POTENTIAL options that has popped up is using the Oval (sprint pads) to host our Dryland Sessions. Other options include YMCA, Vivo, or any other recreational facility with enough space to host our groups. Although the Oval solution is not definite at this time, I can assure you we are working hard to make this an option for CSSA. We are all nostalgic and want to return to the Oval as soon as possible. This is why I thought I would update everyone on where our training plans lie as of right now.
That being said, if we are to train at the Oval – whether it be for Dryland training or when we get back on ice – we need to have all registered skaters sign the Oval Covid-19 Waiver – an online form for all athletes training at the Olympic Oval. I have outlined steps for you to follow below:
1.) The first documents are a set of PDF instructions on how you, the registered skater or the parent/guardian of an underage skater, are to submit this one time waiver. It is valid until December 31st, 2020, so your submission is valid until the end of the year. Please note there are 2 ways of submitting your waiver, which depends on whether you are a returning skater, or whether you are completely new to training at the Oval. Please be sure to follow the instructions that correspond to your category.
2.) The second document is composed of information on what to expect when you return to the Olympic Oval. This includes all of the COVID-19 protocols in place at the University of Calgary and by extension at the Olympic Oval. This was drafted in collaboration with the Oval’s Staff in order to provide you with as many answers to your questions and concerns as possible. Please read this information so you have an idea of the expectations upon entry into the Oval.
3.) Finally, I have attached extra links and documents for your review should you be interested in reading more about COVID-19 measures on Campus:
https://ucalgary.ca/risk/emergency-management/covid-19-response/mask-faq
https://ucalgary.ca/risk/emergency-management/covid-19-response
I know it can be difficult to keep track of all of the paperwork that has to be signed, but this is by far the most important waiver to hand in on time if you want to have access into the Oval. I would kindly like to ask that you begin to submit this waiver at your earliest convenience. This will help the CSSA membership get ready in advance to enter the Oval. We hope to limit any future time delays or documentation backups when we are in the clear to go back into the facility. With short numbers of Staff at the Oval Front Desk, the Director of Guest Relations, Sylvie Tanguay, has asked me to help her and her staff get CSSA set up for entry ahead of time.
If you are a returning skater that has last year’s Oval Access Card, please be sure to hold onto it. The Oval is going to work on providing each Skater their Cohort access. They will be able to remotely activate your old card. This will save lots of printing time and reduce the amount of contact between CSSA and the Olympic Oval Staff. If you are new to CSSA this year, or have misplaced your card, you will be provided a new Oval Access Card. More details on how to receive your card will be disclosed closer to our re-entry time.
If you have any Oval Covid-19 Waiver related questions, please contact the Olympic Oval – Guest Relations Staff directly (contact information listed at the bottom of the document) for help or more information. If you have specific questions on CSSA skating programs, please contact our Technical Director Debby Fisher at deb.fisher@calgaryspeedskating.ca. If you have any other questions with the CSSA registration process (including refunds), you may contact our Registrar Jeremy Gizen at registrar@calgaryspeedskating.ca. Lastly, if you need any other assistance not previously aforementioned, you can contact me at isabella.salazar@calgaryspeedskating.ca.
I appreciate the time you have taken to read this information. I am looking forward to helping you in any way I can!
| Isabella Salazar Office Manager, Calgary Speed Skating Association Olympic Oval | University of Calgary 2500 University Dr. N.W. Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 E: isabella.salazar@calgaryspeedskating.ca |