| The West Coast Hockey Prep Camp is On! We hope you are all healthy and safe. Our team has been meeting regularly to discuss options for this summer amidst COVID-19. We are grateful for the leadership of our provincial government, local leadership, and the unwavering commitment of our Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry. ANNOUNCEMENT: We are thrilled to announce that as of May 27th, 2020 we WILL OPERATE AS A DAY CAMP THIS SUMMER with the full support of Willa Thorpe, Director of Parks and Recreation and the Port Alberni City Council. We will be working with the City of Port Alberni over the coming weeks to develop our safety plan in accordance with Worksafe BC and our provincial health authority. Apply Now! MANDATORY FORM: In order for us to make the necessary logistical adjustments for the camp and updating your account status YOU MUST FILL OUT THE MANDATORY “COVID 19 RESPONSE” FORM in your CampMinder account by June 12th, 2020. You can find it in the FORMS section from your account homepage. You will accept or decline your attendance for this summer. Your funds will be subject to credit for 2021 if no action is taken by this date. Please note we have 700 families registered this summer so the sooner we hear from you the better! For those who remain registered, we will then process your next monthly payment on June 15 and again on July 15. Thank you in advance for taking this very important step. CAMP FORMAT: While we all wish that life was back to normal and camp would run with the traditions and benefits of dorm life, welcoming players and coaches from around the world, we still have a long way to go. The emotional pressure to run camp is high as eager and motivated hockey players and coaches want nothing more than for this pandemic to be over so that we can all get back to the game we love. However we must make our decisions based on facts and not emotion. We have preliminary approval to run a scaled down version of camp in a way that is safe for the residents of Port Alberni and Vancouver Island, our camp families, and our team. WHAT WE KNOW: We know this is a long email, and hope it answers the high level questions. We will release more details and instructions in the coming weeks via email, live webinars, recordings, and more. The upcoming weeks may include reopening of schools, youth sports, and recreational activity in BC. These will provide us further direction regarding the safe return for our programs under the guidance of the appropriate authorities. Camp will follow guidelines of smaller numbers of players on the ice, social distancing requirements, and focus on individual skill development without contact or game play. We are now working on a modified schedule. The day will be condensed and groups kept separate to minimize interaction and maximize social distancing. Your child will have a 5 hour camp day with minimal time between activities (1 x 90 minute ice time, 1 x 60 minute fitness, 1 x 60 minute skills) starting either in the late morning, early afternoon, or early evening. This will also allow families to enjoy much of the day together. Who starts when will be determined as a result of many considerations we are working on now. We will not start before 9am in order to allow commuting families a reasonable start to the day. Some groups that are with us over the lunch our will be provided lunch. Details TBA. Families currently registered in the dorms – please see the list below for potential accommodation options for your family. Room and Board, Meal Plans, and Transportation Options have been removed and funds credited to your account by Campminder’s amazing tech support. We are unable to offer the camp experience to our international players and coaches this summer. We will be monitoring our ability to host out of province players and families, and the weeks ahead will be important as we seek clarity on this matter. OUR COMMITMENT & REQUEST: The West Coast Hockey Prep Camp has played a critical role in the personal development of over 5000 athletes and over 500 coaches and team members since we acquired camp in 2009. We believe it has operated for well over 25 years in 3 cities in BC. We honour the traditions and the space it occupies in our hearts. Camp has changed many lives, including my own. The decisions we make and the relationships we foster in this pandemic will have a ripple effect on the future of camp and the lives we are able to impact for generations to come. Like many businesses around the world, we have been challenged by this pandemic. We respectfully encourage families unable to attend this summer, who can afford to do so, to use your credit on file to sign up for 2021 now, rather than request a full refund. This generous consideration will allow us to manage the financial challenges we have incurred and allow us the opportunity to serve generations to come with the growth experience, traditions, and professional opportunities we have all come to know and love at the West Coast Hockey Prep Camp. Sincerely, Nate Leslie – Camp Director ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS – Links for Families: Locals we know vouch for the following accommodation. If you know of other great options please let us know!Port Alberni Tourism Barclay Best Western (ask for Prep Camp rate) Hospitality Inn (ask for Prep Camp rate) Riverside Motel Somas Motel Provincial Campground RV Campgrounds Air BnB (Sproat Lake and Qualicum/Parksville are popular options) VRBO (Sproat Lake and Qualicum/Parksville are popular options) Parksville / Qualicum is a great seaside area 35km from Port Alberni |
