Hello MHRC members and families!
Some hills are opening and Glen Eden is blowing snow every chance they get. As we all anxiously await seeing each other on snow, here are several important updates on what to expect this year. With COVID-19 still evolving around us, it is still not quite a “normal” year, so please bear with us and thanks in advance for the patience and flexibility we will all need to show.
COVID-19 protocols
Vaccine Confirmation
Please check Glen Eden’s operating plan and vaccine verification protocols. We expect vaccine verification might create some extra traffic during the first few days of operations. As a reminder, anyone coming onto the property is required to be fully vaccinated (for those 12 or older as of Nov. 22).
Clubhouse Use
Please help us make every effort to keep density down in the clubhouse. We are asking that all parents (and other non program participants) minimize time in the clubhouse. We are exploring adding some outdoor benches and a firepit. We all look forward to the days when we can be back to normal operations.
Health Attestation & Contact Tracing
Athletes will need to complete a daily health attestation inside TeamSnap. Reminders will be sent 12 hours before each program start time. Non program participants (and volunteers) should stay away if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms and will need to make note of clubhouse entry on a “visitor log” each day that they enter.
Masks
Masks are required at all times while indoors, with the exception of while seated and actively eating or drinking.
Glen Eden Parking
Efforts to reduce density at the bottom of the hill and indoors can sometimes mean added pressure on the parking lot. We are asking all our families to help do our part to ease this by considering carpooling where safe to do so or to “kiss and ride” if possible (and take advantage of kid-free time at home or in Milton!). Doing so will also help keep our density down inside the clubhouse.
Canteen
We are planning a return to hot food service in the canteen this year. Get ready for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, soup, chili and the usual assortment of snacks and drinks. The canteen will be going “cashless” this year and each member’s binder page will only be able to be loaded using debit or credit.
Volunteering
As with other program participants and people who enter Glen Eden, volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated. Watch for a separate email soon with signup links for volunteering – there will be lots of opportunities to complete our hours and more importantly, to deliver a great experience for our athletes.
Please check your email for reminders on completing volunteer forms. We are still waiting for some forms to be returned.
Competitive Team Race Schedule
Things are on track for a normal mid-December release of the schedule. Clubs are actively working to “load balance” the schedule across clubs and we expect something final from AOA within a week or two. The good news is that our current understanding is that races will be on weekends as usual, and not mid-week.
For all Competitive program participants, please be sure you have completed AOA registration. For insurance purposes, athletes may not participate in on-snow activities until this is done.
Automatic Booking
One thing that’s different this year (that some of you may have experienced for the brief Glen Eden opening last season) is that Glen Eden is using a new online reservation system. We are pleased to say that regular training slots for our athletes will be automatically reserved for them, provided that they have a Glen Eden Advantage Pass. Additional time on snow on other dates or before/after regular training times will need to be reserved in Glen Eden’s system (it is very quick and easy!) – the same is true for parents and friends who are skiing at the same time (note, Glen Eden provides a maximum four-hour booking slot for recreational reservations).
Christmas Camp
We’re looking forward to getting back on snow and kick off the season with the Christmas camp, Dec 27 – 31. The session schedule will follow the regular training season to help manage traffic at the clubhouse and on hill and will be:
U8/10/12 from 8:30a – 2:30p
U14 from 9:30a – 3:30p
U16/19 from 10:30a – 4:30p
The camp will once again include away training days at Mount St Louis Moonstone; MHRC all teams (U8/10/12/14/16/19) on Wed, Dec 29th, and U14/16/19 only on Thurs, Dec 30th. Days at Mt St Louis Moonstone are planned as 9am-3pm for all teams. All athletes are expected to attend as outlined, there are no substitute sessions at GE. Tickets will be required and being offered at a reduced price, details will follow closer to the date.
Karbon Team Jackets (and pants)
Due to ongoing disruptions to global supply chains and shipping, we have just been advised that our order is delayed and likely not available until early January. We know this is a disappointment and inconvenience for those who ordered and we thank you for your patience. We are following up regularly to see if we can do anything to help speed this up, unfortunately it is entirely out of our control.
New Start Ramp and new timing equipment
We are excited to share that we have worked with Glen Eden to design a new mobile start ramp that we will be able to configure at the top of any run. We believe this exciting new feature is a first in southern Ontario and will enhance the training experience of our athletes. In addition, the club has invested in upgraded race timing equipment. Both of these improvements are being generously supported by the Erika Lamb Foundation! We thank them for their support and are pleased to see Erika’s legacy creating a lasting positive impact for our club.
Coming soon – MHRC gear!
Stay tuned for another update on how to order MHRC ski buffs, water bottles and insulator jackets.