Important Member Update

Dear CRCA Members,

We hope this update finds you and your family healthy and well.

Spring is upon us, but obviously in a way none of us has ever experienced before, under a declared State of Emergency and subject to dramatic but necessary changes thrust upon us by distancing and other requirements.

Your Board has met numerous times in the past few months to deal with regular business as well as the special circumstances we find ourselves in with the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Annual General Meeting: We have postponed the AGM which normally occurs on the May long weekend. We will continue to evaluate the appropriate timing for this meeting but it likely won’t be held until August or September which is still within the required timeline for holding the AGM.

– Community Dues: Invoices for our annual community dues have been distributed. Please ensure these are paid promptly and take note of the request to transfer funds by e-transfer which is more desirable given the pandemic. We will continue to maintain our community assets and operations to the standards to which we have become accustomed to. As such, our operating expenses are not expected to change much (perhaps a few extra expenditures for some of the pandemic response below) so it is important that we maintain the same approach to dues and fiscal responsibility as in the past.

– Community Pandemic Response: As we all know, physical distancing is the core principle of maintaining safe activities. To that end, and to manage other contagion risks in a balanced fashion, we have arrived at the following guidance for key areas in the community. This update will outline the decisions arrived at to help steer our community through these challenging times while we all pursue, to the extent we can safely do so, our summer pastimes. Keep in mind that the overall situation is fluid as guidance from the Provincial Medical Officer and other authorities continues to evolve. We may have to make changes accordingly. Please ensure to read the entire update, share it with your family members, and take this seriously for the greater good of our whole community.

– Playground: The playground remains closed given concerns over common touch points on all of the apparatus and will remain closed until provincial guidance changes for similar facilities.

– Foreshore: With the arrival of warm weather, the desire to be near or on the water will obviously be a prime concern for members. The gate lock will remain in use and members may still unlock and open the gate to gain vehicular access to the beach road. Leaving the gate open or unlocked is not an option given sensitivities of managing our rail crossing and beach safety obligations. The other option of keeping it locked and prohibiting vehicular access gives rise to a number of other challenges.

Members should recognize that using the lock and gate surfaces, in a safe manner, will require some forethought – bring gloves, hand sanitizer, etc, if you intend to open the gate.

The community is seeking to acquire appropriate hand sanitizer dispensers that could be located in key locations (outside the washroom, beachside, at the gate, tennis courts, etc) but given supply concerns members should always be prepared to deal with hand sanitization on their own.

– Beach Outhouse: Will remain accessible

– Swim area and decks: These areas will be open but the chairs and community owned watercraft (canoes, paddleboat, kayak, paddles, etc) will be unavailable for use by members to remove as many touch points as practical. Members should bring their own lawn chairs for lakeside use as well as their own watercraft/toys. Most importantly, we need to see a combination of awareness, collaboration, and common sense with regard to usage of space on the decks and pathways so that people can access the areas to enjoy themselves while still maintaing the required 2 metre distancing.

– The sandbox will be closed

– Boating: Members should make themselves aware of current and changing expectations from the Provincial Medical Officer and other agencies such as Fish & Wildlife. It is our understanding that boating is about to become an allowed activity on the premise that only family members or people otherwise within a common isolation bubble can be on a boat together. Availability of the boat launch at Tilley Park in Canal Flats, which is currently closed, is also key but we expect new announcements on that in the next week or two.

– Dock: Over the next 2 weeks we are undertaking dock section repairs and evaluating options for potential installation of a smaller dock configuration. Key in this regard, will be the ability to complete this work while maintaining compliance with distancing and maximum group gatherings guidelines. We will update you on this topic as soon as possible.

– Moorage: We will update you regarding moorage options as the 2 proceeding points gain clarity over the next 2 weeks.

– Community events: Our annual summer potluck/sizzler and other events will remain on hold until such time as group gathering guidelines are lifted.

There are many great examples of distancing and careful conduct that are evident within the community to date and we thank you for that. We cannot be too careful and we appreciate your ongoing cooperation so that we can all enjoy our amenities and hopefully avoid more drastic measures going forward.

Our next board meeting is in 2 weeks and we will update you on any changes soon thereafter as our environment continues to evolve.

In the meantime, stay safe!

Your Board of Directors