INDUSTRY STATEMENT FOR GOLF IN ATLANTIC CANADA REGARDING OPERATIONS AND COVID-19
INDUSTRY STATEMENT FOR GOLF IN ATLANTIC CANADA REGARDING OPERATIONS AND COVID-19
April 24, 2020 3pm
During these challenging times in Atlantic Canada, golf associations have come together to pool resources and expertise in order to clearly define a safe path for the golf industry as we navigate through the current challenges that we face.
The Atlantic Allied Golf Associations applaud the work of our health officials, our essential workers and various Government Agencies and Health Authorities for their active roles in ensuring the continued safety of our citizens, our communities, our provinces and our nation.
With no immediate end to the current health crisis on the horizon and the impacts on our citizens, businesses and communities mounting daily, we appreciate the challenges government officials are facing when deciding on the movement of people and the operation of businesses.
With the start to the Atlantic Canadian golf season just around the corner, the Atlantic Allied Golf Associations are working closely with our golf courses and our national and international partners to ensure that the health and safety of our facility staff and the general public is our top priority.
There is a great deal of information readily available from multiple jurisdictions however the specific governmental and health requirements vary greatly from region to region, province to province and country to country. We are currently compiling relevant best practices and are consulting with various provincial governments and health authorities to identify key benchmarks and health and safety guidelines. These will be distributed to our partner facilities once they are identified and properly vetted so that they meet the appropriate requirements from the Government of Canada, our specific provinces and the various municipalities in our provinces.
We are all anxious to get the golf season up and running but we understand the dilemmas that our government and health officials face, especially when determining whether to allow some businesses to operate and the financial impacts these decisions will have on our communities moving forward.
It is our goal that golf can be one of the businesses allowed to open during the first wave of openings given its ability to include guidelines for our clubs to follow that will allow for safe operation while offering an opportunity for the physical and mental well-being of our citizens.
The Atlantic Allied Golf Associations will continue to respect and support the positions of the federal and provincial Governments and the Chief Medical Officers of Health as we look forward to the time when the golf industry can help our communities heal by playing its part in providing a safe and responsible recreational opportunity for our citizens while also getting individuals back to work.
We will continue to work together with our partner facilities to prepare for the 2020 season and ensure that, once golf courses are allowed to safely open, clubs in Atlantic Canada are organized and well prepared to operate with the health and safety of players and staff members as a top priority.
Sincerely,
Atlantic Allied Golf Associations
Lindon Garron - Executive Director, PGA Atlantic
Jim Thompson - Regional Director, Atlantic Chapter National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada
Jim Nix - Executive Director, Atlantic Golf Superintendents Association
Tyson Flinn - Executive Director, Golf New Brunswick
David Campbell - Executive Director, Nova Scotia Golf Association
Sean Joyce - Representative, Prince Edward Island Golf Association
Greg Hillier - Executive Director, Golf Newfoundland Labrador
Jeffrey Hutt - Regional Director, Atlantic Canada, Golf Canada