MARCH 16, 2020 – (OTTAWA, ON) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) continues to monitor the rapidly changing landscape related to COVID-19. Much of our information has come from the Government of Canada (GoC), Public Health authorities from across the country, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well as the International Canoe Federation (ICF) – all of whom are following the World Health Organization’s lead on appropriate actions and precautionary measures.

CKC’s number one priority is the health and well-being of our members, including athletes, coaches, IST support, officials, staff and other volunteers and support personnel.

The CKC specific leadership task force of Senior Staff, medical experts, legal counsel and representative board members has continued to meet to monitor and adjust our organizational response to the pandemic.

Based on this on-going process the following measures and recommendations are effective immediately :

• CKC has closed its office in Ottawa effective immediately. Staff will be working remotely and will be accessible via email and phone. Please note that CKC’s operations will be focused on our collective response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and other operations may be de-prioritized in the short term.
• All CKC in-person events for the next 30 days are canceled, and we will continue to monitor this position based on all information which we receive. As mentioned previously, this includes the CKC-Sprint Racing Discipline (CKC-SRD) Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials scheduled for April 16-19, 2020 in Gainesville, Georgia.
• CKC strongly recommends that all member organizations and individuals adopt social isolation measures. This critically includes all individuals who are returning from international travel who should observe a strict 14-day self isolation and be very aware of the people they come into contact with, especially those at high risk. Please refer to link below for guidance.

Ottawa Public Health Recommendations for all travellers returning to Canada 

• In line with the recommendation above, CKC strongly recommends all member clubs and organizations suspend all in-person activities and instead work to support athletes and other members to continue safe activity within their own self isolation protocols.
• CKC’s athletes and staff are either home or enroute home from our Slalom Development Camp in France.
• CKC’s Sprint National Team Training Camp has closed in Indian Harbour Beach Florida, all athletes will be out of the camp by Wednesday, and CKC staff are expected to be back in Canada by Saturday.
• CKC re-affirms its recommendation based on the Government of Canada’s recommendation that all Provincial and Club camps wrap up their operations and bring their athletes and staff home to Canada as quickly as possible, in a safe manner.
• Based on the Government of Canada recommendation, any persons currently outside of Canada should register as a Canadian Abroad – https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration

Own the Podium’s Sport Medicine Advisory Committee has also been issuing recommendations, which CKC considers should be adopted by the entire Canadian paddling community. Those recommendations include:

• As it relates to travel, consideration be given to being stranded in a foreign country with (or potentially without) insurance that covers travel or medical expenses. Further, medical access in foreign countries may be limited;
• Apart from compulsory Paralympic or Olympic qualification, travel for training or competition should not be considered for the next 30 days. However, there are currently no restrictions or policies to traveling within Canada;
• As it relates to training environments, athletes, coaches or other staff should not attend training; training outside is permissible in isolation, but training groups should be avoided; hygienic training environments should be put in place, including modified training numbers, enhanced spacing of equipment, increased hand-washing and sanitizing approaches.

CKC will update these measures and recommendations as the situation evolves and/or as it receives additional information.

CKC will continue to work with all partners to first, ensure the safety of all our our community members, and will also continually assess the shifting situation in relation to key events including Trials, World Cups, National Championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Athletes and Coaches should feel comfortable reaching out to CKC coaches, staff, parents or other trusted individuals to share their concerns and any issues arising from this situation.

A CKC Mental Health resource document is available here.

About Canoe Kayak Canada  

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.