Avis COVID19

Documents de procédures importantes pour l'été

Commodore’s Communiqué (June 7th)

Très chers Membres,

We are currently in Phase I of our reopening plan (Here). As such, the new gate code will be distributed to members later this week.

In case you missed it, our Club Code of Conduct (Here ) was emailed to you on Wednesday. The Board asks that you read and agree to its protocols prior to your first visit.

Club activities

Sailing:

All members with boats (sail and paddle, big and small) are invited to arrange a launch time by contacting: fleetcaptain@gryc.ca. Regulations now permit a single sailor (or a family unit) to access their boats for recreational use. No racing is permitted as yet, we will advise you of any changes to those regulations.

Swimming:

Starting next weekend members may begin using the swim docks. Again, we ask that everyone respect distancing rules and ensure that any children in their care do the same. We also ask that anyone swimming around the Island exit from the ladder at the dinghy docks, rather than the ladders at the finger docks off the catwalk. Please note the Club does not employ lifeguards, swimming is at the members risk. We highly recommend using a “buddy” system.

Social:

No social activities have been scheduled at this time. Although the back deck may be accessed, BBQ’s are not in use and no more than 10 people from three families may gather together (with appropriate distancing between family units). As in the past, everything brought to the Island must be taken home (i.e. carry on, carry off policy).

Youth program

A modified youth sailing program will be offered this season. Kim and team have been working hard to create a more focused junior program enabling the 11 and up age groups to begin a distanced, outdoor-based camp with limited clubhouse access. With strict protocols and a higher staff to student ratio, we are confident that our youth will be able to enjoy a safe summer for all.

Volunteering

As previously explained, we’ve waived the mandatory volunteering requirement for this year. However, with Bridge-down being cancelled we need 10 volunteers to assist with moving dinghy’s from the clubhouse to the dry docks. Richard Yeo has once again agreed to coordinate this activity next Saturday (June 13^th) at 10:00am. If you are able to help Richard please email: starboard@gryc.ca

Key reminders:

Don’t forget to complete your Code of Conduct form
Please do not invite guests to the Islands until further notice
Hand wash stations will be available, please bring your own hand sanitizer
The Clubhouse (including washrooms) remains closed at this time, don’t forget to bring water

The news has been more positive of late and we look forward to opening up additional activities as regulations relax further.

Thank you for your continuing patience, see you soon.

Geoff Erskine, Commodore

Have a question? Need help? Reach out.

David Raymond, GRYC’s Vice-Commodore and Chief Safety Officer will be the single point of contact for fielding any questions you may have. He will be the liaison between GRYC members and the Board. You can reach David at: vicecommodore@gryc.ca

Important Membership Updates (May 24th)

Très chers Membres,

I hope this finds you well and discovering new ways to make the best of this amazing weather with your family. Please see some important club updates below.

Club re-opening

As you may have heard, the provincial government has approved the resumption of certain leisure activities, including sailing. Your Board is working very hard to ensure we’re prepared and adaptable for what is sure to be a different season than in seasons past. The safe re-opening of the club will happen in phases and we’re finalizing the logistics for Phase One.

To support this, and with guidance from health professionals and sailing authorities, we’re currently drafting two documents:

A “PlayBook” which will outline plans and procedures for the 2020 season.
A 2020 Member Code of Conduct

We’ll be able to share these with you soon.

The first phase will allow small groups of members Island access for dock setup, boat prep and launch.. We expect we will be able to begin a controlled launching schedule as soon as next weekend, however exact dates will be announced by our Fleet Captains once all necessary safety measures are in place. Our proposed timeline would have all boats in the water by about the same time as last year. During Phase One, the Clubhouse and other facilities must remain closed until further notice.

It is very important to note that members are not obliged to come to the GRYC if they do not feel safe for any reason! We also ask that members not invite guests to the Club quite yet.

Youth program

We remain hopeful that summer sailing camps will proceed, but we don’t yet know what level of modification may be necessary. We continue to process registrations and if there is a need to cancel any programming we’ll offer refunds. We are carefully monitoring recommendations from all pertinent health and sailing authorities and will update you as soon as we make a decision on the delivery of our programs.

Social and volunteering

As you can expect, our 2020 social calendar will be significantly affected by the pandemic. Thankfully, we have a dynamic social committee that will come up with fun and innovative ways for us to engage at the Club this year. Because many of you count on the social calendar for your volunteer hours, we’re waiving the mandatory volunteering requirement this year for all members. However, we’ll still need volunteers for certain activities. When those opportunities arise, we know you’ll continue to “volunteer to volunteer” as best you can.

A warm thank you

You’ve been very supportive during this unprecedented time — thank you. We know you’ll continue to show your patience and support as we finalize the details that’ll ensure we open and operate in the safest way possible. Stay tuned for the first version of the 2020 PlayBook which we’ll share very soon.

Geoff Erskine, Commodore

Have a question? Need help? Reach out.

Important Membership Updates (May 10th)

Dear Fellow Members, your Board continues to meet regularly to discuss next steps towards reopening the Club. With your help, and as soon as we receive the regulatory “green light”, we will be ready to jump into action to start whatever activities are permitted. In the meantime, I offer the following updates;

Club Operations:

Government announcements this week contained mixed messages regarding what facilities may be allowed to reopen, and when. Nevertheless, our Manager (Warren Place) has begun working on routine pre-season maintenance activities in advance of Club programs starting. In addition, this seasons delay has provided us with an opportunity to undertake some necessary repair work to the decayed supports at the SE corner of the Clubhouse, as well as replace some metal sheeting to small portions of the roof. This work is high priority that was budgeted for at our last AGM.

Waterfront Property:

After a lengthy discussion with the Mayor earlier this week I am able to report that the Municipality has now formally agreed to acquire the Hydro Quebec lands along the riverfront. The transaction is expected to close in September and will provide the Municipality with the ability to offer Chelsea residents 2 or 3 access points along the river. Access at the bottom of Summerlea Rd. (i.e. the GYRC entrance) is not under consideration and, according to the Mayor, is simply not feasible as an access point due to road and parking constraints. The Mayor has also offered to meet with members at some future date to answer any questions we may have regarding this issue.

Membership Renewal:

On a very positive note, some 98% of our membership have now renewed. Only two adult and two family members have chosen not to rejoin this year, leaving us with 272 members (note: the membership cap is 277). We also welcome back the following four Retaining members as Full members: Neil Rask, Scott Lemay, Linda Weckler and the Bieri family. Once again, thank you to all for your continued support.

Youth Program:

As of this writing, the Quebec government has indicated that day camps with outdoor programming will be permitted to operate this summer. We will know more in the coming weeks about any adaptations or restrictions required for the delivery of our camps, but at this point we remain hopeful for another summer of sailing for our YP campers.

Event/Activity/Program	Status as of May 10^th
Bridge Down / Club Opening	Postponed until further notice
Ice-breaker / New Member BBQ	Cancelled
Junior Program (Sailing Camp)	No change at this time
Spring Series (Dinghy’s & Big Boats)	Postponed until further notice

As mentioned previously, your Board is continuing to follow all Government updates. However, the island must remain closed for the moment and we ask for your ongoing patience and cooperation in this regard.

We’ll be back in touch again soon, until then please take care and stay well.

Geoff

Have a question? Need help? Reach out.

Important Membership Updates (April 19th)

Dear Members,

In sailing terminology, we have clearly entered “uncharted waters” – there’s still so much we don’t know, or can’t predict. What we do know is that Quebec has extended the closure of non-essential businesses until May 4^th and Ottawa has cancelled all planned activities until June 30^th. Therefore, the Club will not be opening on May 2^nd for Bridge Down as originally planned. However, based on what is happening in other countries, there is reason to remain optimistic that we may still enjoy a partial season. For now, here are some important updates:

Renewal Deadline: April 15th

The membership renewal deadline is April 15th. We’re thrilled that over two thirds of our members have already renewed their memberships.

Retaining Membership Option

Whether you have already renewed, or haven’t yet renewed, you may consider the option of changing your status to Retaining Member *. The fee is $145.00. This option allows you to suspend your membership rights and responsibilities for one (or more) seasons. This includes (but isn't limited to): voting privileges, island access, volunteer duties, and club activities.

*Retaining Member Bylaw 4 (e) “An existing member, who for personal, economic or logistical reasons will not be using the Club facilities for a season or more; may pay a reduced fee to prevent his membership from lapsing; and may resume active membership in a future season, with no restrictions placed by the membership limit (i.e. membership limit may only be temporarily exceeded to account for the above situation), without being subject to repayment of initiation fees.”

Youth Program

The Junior program sessions 1 and 2 are now essentially full, with registration ongoing for sessions 3 and 4. We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and are in regular contact with both Voile Quebec and Sail Canada to ensure we are following their guidelines. Should we face a modified program or shortened season, refunds for cancelled sessions will be offered and we will do our best to accommodate sailors into subsequent sessions if they wish. As always, we will do our best to share updates with you as soon as we receive them.

Suspension of the Entire Season

If the Board determines at some future date that the Club will not be able or allowed to operate throughout the balance of our season, all memberships will be converted to Retaining status. A refund will be made for the difference between the value of the full membership paid and the current Retaining fee of $145. I stress it is too soon to know when or if this decision will become necessary, however we do know our members will come together to support the club as best they can during these extraordinary times.

Event/Activity/Program	Status as of April 12^th
Membership Renewal	Deadline remains April 15^th (extended from April 1^st)
Bridge Down / Club Opening	Postponed until further notice
Ice-breaker / New Member BBQ	Postponed until further notice
Junior Program (Sailing Camp)	No change at this time

Happy Easter, please make sure the Easter bunny washes their paws before coming into your house!

Geoff Erskine, Commodore

Have a question? Need help? Reach out.

David Raymond, GRYC’s Vice-Commodore and Chief Safety Officer is currently our single point of contact for fielding any questions you may have. He will be the liaison between GRYC members and the Board. You can reach David using this email address: vicecommodore@gryc.ca

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