WINTER SPORTS PROVIDE CRUCIAL ACTIVITY
Physical and mental benefits of skiing, boarding enjoyed by following the rules
Ski resorts across the country have done their part.
Now, it's up to us.
All summer and fall, Canadian ski operators collaborated among themselves and their international counterparts to develop robust and safety-first protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to stay open and provide vital opportunities for exercise and recreation this winter.
There has been continued collaboration with provincial health authorities to update those protocols as restrictions in Alberta and B.C. have continued to evolve.
The ski season looks different. A trip to the mountains involves masks and social distancing and patience.
That's going to be especially true this holiday season. With kids out of school and people taking time off from work, there will be crowds that flock to ski resorts in the Rockies.
Crowds can be scary right now, but it's what ski and snowboard areas have been planning for.
If everyone follows the rules, there's no reason why a day spent tearing down the slopes can't be done safely.
“For the ski industry, it's critical that it's not just the ski areas, but also our guests that are part of the solution,” said Christopher Nicolson, president and CEO of the Canada West Ski Areas Association.
“I think everyone's got a vested interest, including Dr. Deena Hinshaw and Premier Jason Kenney, where people want to see a successful season and what a successful season looks like is the ability for residents to be able to get into the outdoors.
“That is possible, it has been proven to be safe by our peers in the Southern Hemisphere and we believe our guests want that ability to get outside. It's great physically, and now more than ever it's important mentally.”
Prior to the start of the 202021 ski season, the Canadian Ski Council released a set of operating best practices titled Ski Well, Be Well, which outline the basic measures that operators are taking across the country to keep skiers and snowboarders safe from the risk of COVID-19.
The document is the result of extensive collaboration with provincial health authorities, as well as lessons learned from ski and snowboard areas that operated in the Southern Hemisphere — Australia and New Zealand, in particular. Local resorts also had their own experiences from summer operations to lean on.
Much of the plan is what you'd expect. Face coverings are required in all indoor spaces and in lineups for lifts, as well as on the lifts themselves. Physical distancing is essential, and resorts have adopted extensive new cleaning and disinfecting policies.
The document can easily be found online (www.skicanada.org/ski-well-be-well) and is worth reviewing, but none of this will work without co-operation from guests.
There's a responsibility that comes with heading out to the mountains for a day of skiing and snowboarding, and it starts before anyone loads up the car and starts their drive. The Ski Well, Be Well plan provided the foundation for safety protocols this winter, but the policies and protocols at every resort have evolved and will continue to do so.
It's the responsibility of skiers and snowboarders to familiarize themselves with what they can do to keep themselves and everyone else safe.
From Sunshine Village, Castle Mountain and Nakiska, to Mount Norquay, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin, ski areas are asking that guests take a couple of minutes to review the protocols they've put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 before leaving their homes.
Every resort has its own set of rules, and it helps every single person if they are aware of what to expect before they arrive.
“One of the key strategies is sharing with our guests and having our guests know what to expect in advance,” Nicolson said.
“First of all, expecting that there is change, because the changes that ski areas have developed with health authorities have made for a different year, but it's also important to understand that the changes have also allowed ski areas to serve their communities. Without the changes, there would not be skiing, simple as that.”
Earlier this week, Ontario announced that its ski hills will be closed for at least 28 days, starting on Boxing Day.
In Alberta, it's been decided that the mental and physical health benefits that come along with a day of skiing or snowboarding are important. That decision was made easier because of the extensive protocols that have been put in place and the seriousness with which they are being enforced by staff at ski and snowboard areas.
Now, it's up to skiers and snowboarders to familiarize themselves with those protocols and to follow the rules.
Information about each resort's regulations is available online, and there's no reason why everyone can't have a fun and active holiday season if, as skiers and snowboarders, we all do our part.