Author: Phil Jourdeuil

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Competitive Calendar Updates

Regrettably, Squash Canada has taken the decision to cancel all of the rescheduled Fall national championships due to lingering COVID-19 restrictions and concerns.  The 2020 Canadian Mixed Doubles, the 2020 Canadian Junior (Closed) , The Canadian Senior National, the Canadian Masters and the Canadian U23 championships have been  cancelled. There were still existed too many restrictions in effect such as no competition yet permitted in current Phase, limits on the number of people allowed in the facility and 14-day quarantine requirements for people returning to as many as eight provinces/territories.

Given the current uptick in cases in the certain parts of the country, SC has also postponed the 2021 Canadian Junior Open from Dec 2020, with plans to hold it in early summer 2021.

Given this information, and the dearth of open courts in the province, and the continued uncertainty over the opening of the courts at SMU, it is with sadness that I am officially cancelling the 2020 NS Open and the 2020 Atlantics.

Please note that the Board is looking at how we can look at providing some opportunities for sanctioned play and limited tournament play, however given the current public health constraints, whatever competitive play opportunities we can present will look different.  As part of that we are putting together a survey to get an understanding of what you feel about return to competitive play and your safety.  This will be sent out next week.

Given this the Board voted unanimously on Thursday to extend existing memberships for a further 120 days.  This has the effect of extending memberships that were in place on 15 Mar 2020 for a total of 300 days.  Please remember that memberships run on a 365 day basis vice a seasonal basis and so memberships will restart counting time on 9 Jan 2021.

 

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Notice of Squash NS AGM – 27 Jun 2020 at 6pm via Zoom – Meeting materials published

Squash NS will hold its Annual General Meeting on 27 June 2020 via Zoom video conference from 6-7pm ADT in accordance Article 15 of the SNS Constitution and Bylaws 0f 2018 and the Direction of the Minister – Shareholder or Member meetings under a state of emergency https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/Ministers-direction-EMA-AGM.pdf

The meeting invite was sent to members via club locker email on Saturday 20 June and contained the link to the meeting, the meeting ID and password and instructions. If you intend to attend and did not receive an email invite please contact philjourdeuil@gmail.com

The proposed Agenda follows:

  1. Welcome and Introductions
  2. Approve Agenda
  3. Approve Minutes of the 2019 AGM
  4. Receive the Presidents Report
  5. Receive the Treasurer’s Report
  6. Approve Annual Dues, Membership Classes and Discounts
  7. Update on Event Sanctioning, Athlete and Team Selection Policies and 2020-21 Competitive Calendar
  8. Covid Response
  9. Election of Directors
  10. Award Recipients
  11. New Business
  12. Adjournment

Meeting materials are available here https://nssquash.ca/board-activity/agms/2019-20-agm/

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Updated – Squash Return to Play Guidelines for Nova Scotia

Hello everyone,

After consultation with Sport Canada, Squash Canada, Sport Nova Scotia, the Provincial Squash Associations in the Provinces and Territories, review by the NS Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, and approval by the Board of Directors of Squash Nova Scotia I am pleased to release the following Return to Play Guidelines for the sport of squash.

So what does that mean? It means that can we play again as soon as your club can prepare, approve and communicate a plan to operate under these guidelines and the provincial public health restrictions in force.

Although Squash Nova Scotia will not be inspecting facilities and monitoring compliance, Public Health will and clubs should be aware of the impact of non-compliance with fines of up to $1000 for individuals and $7500 for businesses being levied for each COVID-19 incident.With the Premier’s further relaxing of the COVID-19 Restrictions today I am pleased to provide an update on the implementation of the approved Return to Play Guidelines. Whereas before play was to be limited to solo play or drill and match play within a two family bubble.  We are now happy to announce that you could proceed to implement phase three of the guidelines which includes two strangers drilling or playing modified games which maintain the physical distance of two meters, but also of play between two members of the same 10 person social group who are not practicing physical distancing. We will let you know if anything changes.

Clubs are also reminded to check with their insurance provider as Squash Canada learned, for example, that their General Comprehensive Liability policy has an exclusion for pandemic, as they were advised is the case with most policies,.  Their Director’s & Officers Liability Policy does not specifically exclude claims relating to a pandemic.  Do you know what your policies might and might not cover?

Clubs should not reopen if they are not ready to do so safely. A risk assessment tool is included here. The recommended process to reopen a squash facility includes:
  • The facility’s Board or Management having discussions about how to provide a safe environment for your members within the context of Provincial Health and Sport guidelines and those of Squash NS.
  • Creating a plan to ensure that you provide an ongoing safe environment for your members and everything has been accounted for before opening the doors.
  • Ensuring that you clearly communicate to your members what is happening and their obligations to ensure they maintain a safe environment at your club.
  • Bringing your plan to life and ensure people are responsible for each ongoing action.
  • Routinely checking that your plan is being implemented as designed and based on good practice. If it’s not adjust it.

Here are the  Return to Squash Guidelines approved by the Board of Directors of Squash NS in two categories:

  1. Player guidelines
  2. Organizational guidelines for facilities and coaches

Some useful solo and socially distanced drills are included for coaches.

Please address questions on these guidelines to Phil Jourdeuil. Please address questions about your facility’s reopening plans to them.

People affiliated with Squash NS on ClubLocker and who have opted in to receive communications will have received an email with information on the reopening guidelines.

Many thanks,

Phil Jourdeuil,

President Squash NS

 

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