Update On Reopening

Further to the July 9th message regarding the Reopening Plan for the Woodstock Badminton Club on Friday July 16, 2021; please note the following changes:

  • Details of the restrictions for Step 3 include the reopening of our facility to members at 50% capacity.  We have received clarification that this is based on our Fire Code for total occupancy which is 297 persons for the entire club.
  • All 4 Courts are now available for doubles play during Badminton and Pickleball scheduled sessions and for open time spots.
  • Capacity in the lounge and court area in total will be restricted to no more than 50 people due to social distancing (16 on the courts and 34 in the lounge)
  • Use of the online screening tool is still required to facilitate tracing by Southwestern Health Unit.
  • Masks and face coverings are still mandatory in the Club lounge area and downstairs.
  • Club is only open for members in good standing or for new/renewal members (paid membership and waiver completion mandatory before stepping onto a court due to insurance regulations). 
  • All current memberships will be reactivated Friday July 16th, 2021 and new expiry dates will be issued in due course.

Stay safe and be well,

Message from President

Today Premier Ford has announced that the province is moving into Step 3 of their Covid-19 Roadmap to Reopen effective 12:01 a.m. Friday July 16, 2021.

Details of the restrictions for Step 3 include the reopening of our facility to members at 50% capacity.  We are interpreting this to mean that we can operate 50% of our courts (or 2 out of the 4 courts for double play) at any given time.  To this end we are reactivating the online Reservation Tool which will allow up to 12 members to book into a predesignated schedule slot for badminton or pickleball.  Open time spots will also be available and restricted to the reserving of only 2 courts for full play.  Capacity in the lounge area will also be restricted to no more than 12 people.  This means that there can be a total of 20 people in the club (8 on the courts and 12 in the lounge) at this stage of the reopening plan.

Please remember to complete the screening tool process during your booking.  The confirmation of your booking is your assertion that you have completed this screening process and are declaring yourself safe to enter the Club.  If your health status changes prior to your booking, then please refrain from entering the club.  Masks and face coverings as well as physical distancing is still required.

Please note that this is a very fluid situation, and the province will remain in Step 3 for at least 21 days and until 80% of those eligible, aged 12 and over, have at least on shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, and 75% are fully immunized with both doses.  Our hope is to be fully operational by the end of August and we will continue to be guided by the provincial government and Badminton Ontario.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind members that the non-programmed time slots (off hours) are available for either sport and may result in both sports being played at the same time on different courts.  When making this reservation please precede your name with a P (for pickleball) or B (for Badminton) so that other people making a reservation can see who and what sport is already been booked.  That provides members with an informed decision in the event that they choose to not want to play under these conditions.  I highly recommend that when these situations occur that an unused court is maintained between the 2 in use courts wherever possible for safety purposes.  Your cooperation and consideration goes a long way to ensure that our Club is a welcoming environment for all.

Finally, I have noted that the Waterloo Region is expected to join Ontario in entering Step 3 of the province’s recovery plan on July 16.

All current memberships will be reactivated Friday July 16th, 2021 and new expiry dates will be issued in due course.

Stay safe and be well,

Terry Dunnigan, President WBC

Club Temporary Closure – COVID-19 Third Wave

The Ontario government is imposing a province-wide “emergency brake”.  The measure comes into effect as of 12:01 a.m. on April 3, and will be in place for at least four weeks.

One of the restrictions announced as a result of this measure is that use of facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness is prohibited.  Therefore, the Woodstock Badminton Club will be closed to all members starting Saturday until further notice.

We will cancel all pending reservations from April 3rd forward.

Southwestern Health Unit moves to Orange – Restrict Alert Status

The province has announced that Southwestern a health unit is moving to the Orange health alert status on Monday, March 1st.  With this announcement we can now welcome members residing in health units that are in Green, Yellow and Orange alert status. The following rules and restrictions will apply.

Club AccessMembers Only.

Reservations are required via the web site.  Each player must reserve.  Note that members are NOT reserving a court but are reserving one of the 10 allowable “person slots” for a given time period. 
The club is open for recreational play (7 days a week) as per the reservation tool.  Members will have to take a self screening test before registering. This is available online and on the club entrance door.
Face CoveringsMandatory – in all areas of the facility except the courts when competing and training.
DistancingPhysical distance of at least 2m from every other person must be maintained; when on court there should be no contact and every effort to maintain 2m physical distancing should be made.
Facility CapacityA maximum of 10   persons in the court areas.A maximum of 10 persons in the lounge areas. (Maximum 90-minute duration).A maximum of 20 persons in the facility.
Type of PlayRecreational Singles and doubles play is permitted with no contact but limited to the 10-person limit.
Leave at least one empty court between doubles play.
CoachingPrivate and club supplied coaching. (Students and parents/guardians are limited by facility capacity limits.)   No contact

As Ontario continues to reopen, the club will relax restrictions to align with government and public health guidelines.