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Recreation Hockey Update

Recreation Hockey Update

We would like to welcome all of our Recreation Hockey participants and parents back to the rink starting Wednesday October 6th. Recreation Hockey will commence with ice times for U11 through to U18. throughout next week. Times and groups will be posted over the weekend, so please stay tuned for more information. All of the ice for Recreation Hockey next week will be at East Coast Varsity Arena - ECV (formerly Bowles Arena). These are practices only to get our players back on the ice. Balancing will start for Recreation Hockey starting Wednesday, October 13th. Most of the try-outs will be completed by this time and this will give us time to balance teams. Please stay tuned for more information regarding Balancing in the coming week.

Should you have any questions or queries, you can contact the Divisional Coordinators for Rec:

U11 - Brian Bruce - atomreccoordinator@whalers.com

U13 - Brian Bruce - peeweereccoordinator@whalers.com

U15 - Scott Rowe - bantamreccoordinator@whalers.com

U18 - Laurie Ossinger - midgetcoordinator@whalers.com

We are looking for volunteers to assist with the start of Recreational Hockey. If you are interested, please contact the respective coordinator to indicate your willingness to assist or sign up via the link below. We will need volunteers to assist with check-in, balancing activities and Covid Checks, including checking for Vaccination confirmation.

CLICK HERE to sign up to volunteer

We also wanted to make you aware of the following important items:

· East Coast Varsity Arena - ECV (formerly Bowles) rules remain the same as last season for capacity, entry times as well as specified entrances for each rink.

· Players will not be allowed to enter the rink until 15 minutes prior to ice time and have 15 minutes to exit the rink after ice time ends

· Parents are NOT ALLOWED in the dressing room at any time, approved volunteers/ coaches only.

· Parents will not be allowed in to tie skates, we will have volunteers who will be looking after that for any player that needs skates tied

· Goalie parents will be allowed to help with goalie with their pads but must exit rink once done and wait for spectator check in outside.

· ONE Spectator per player will be allowed at ECV, no exceptions for the start of the season. Spectators will be allowed to enter the rink 5 minutes prior to ice time and must exit immediately when ice time ends and buzzer sounds. For any players requiring help with tying skates, our dressing room volunteers will be looking after that.

· Covid Pre-screening forms MUST be completed by all players, volunteers, coaches and spectators before entering the rink each ice time. If the form is not completed, entry will not be provided to anyone, including players. Also please note that screening forms cannot be completed more than 24 hours prior to ice time.

· All Vaccine-Eligible Players, Game Officials, HNS Officials, Instructors, Associations, Team Officials, Leagues, Programs and Volunteers are required to be Fully Vaccinated (i.e., including the 14-day period after receiving their completed dose) by October 4, 2021, or earlier.

· Players 12 and over will be asked to show proof of vaccination as they enter the rink for their first ice session, which will then be noted on our master list for players if proof has been seen by our safety rep for all future practice and balancing session ice times.
The following exceptions will apply:

o Children who turned 12 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 4 this year will have until Dec. 31 to attend events and activities while they get vaccinated. Children who turn 12 after Oct. 4 will have three months from their birthday. If they choose not to get vaccinated, they will no longer be able to participate in these events and activities once the grace period is up

o Children and youth age 13 to 18 who can provide proof that they received one dose of vaccine can start participating in sport, recreation, arts and culture programming on or after October 4. To continue participating, they must provide proof of full vaccination by November 9 (second dose plus 14 days for it to take effect). In other words, they must get a first dose no later than September 28 and a second dose no later than October 26. If you don’t meet the November 9 deadline, you will not be able to participate until you are able to provide proof of full vaccine (second dose plus 14 days for it to take effect).

· Volunteers and Coaches will need to show proof of vaccination each session they are helping out with during balancing

· Spectators will need to show proof of vaccination each session they attend.

PLEASE NOTE: DWMHA will not be keeping record of any information other than to indicate that proof vaccination record has been provided. Also No player, volunteer, coach or spectator will be allowed entry into the facility without proof of vaccine shown. Any Affected Person who is granted medical exemption through Valid Medical Contraindication for COVID-19 vaccinations must show proof to their safety rep with the approved documentation from a Physician or Nurse Practitioner. HNS reserves the right to have exemption medical documentation reviewed by the HNS Chief Medical Officer to make appropriate inquiries to verify the authenticity of any claim for exemption.

For more information on Hockey Nova Scotia Proof of Vaccination Policy please go to https://whalers.org/news/2317/HOCKEY-NOVA-SCOTIA-PROOF-OF-VACCINE-POLICY/

Link for Covid Prescreening for Participants ->

Link for Covid Prescreening for Spectators ->

Thanks for your patience and ongoing support. Let's get this season started and we look forward to seeing you all at the rink very soon!

Oct 3, 2021

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Whalers 50/50 Communication 2021/22

Whalers 50/50 Communication 2021/22

Welcome back everyone to another Whalers hockey season. Last year we ran a successful 50/50 and did extremely well. We are hoping to build on that success and have incorporated your feedback into our fundraising framework for the year. 50/50 credits from last season were applied to help reduce registration costs by over $27,000 for raffle participants. In one case paying the entire registration cost for a single player. We hope to add to that this year. There will be some changes to our ticket prices and we will be incorporating a second draw for a Pro Hockey Life gift card after each main draw.

Like all good fundraisers it’s important to receive feedback and continuously adjust the recipe to build on our success year after year. This year the ticket prices will be in line with the feedback we received.

3 for $5
7 for $10
15 for $20
50 for $50

The top ten fundraisers for each draw will be placed in a second draw following the main one for a $100 Pro Hockey Life gift card.

We have also had to implement a threshold on how many tickets an individual sells in order to have it apply towards their registration. Due to the immense administrative cost of adding all the credits to the system a player will have to raise a total of $25 minimum worth of credit to have it applied. With the ticket sales breakdown giving 36.5% of the sales to the individual you would have to sell roughly $68 worth of tickets over the course of the 6 draws throughout the season. For those that do not reach the $25 minimum credit threshold your credit will be diverted to the Mary Beth Chaulk fund strengthening support for our Whalers Community.

Special note for U18 players. You will be receiving email notifications for the raffle such as information and your unique URL (Link) to sell 50/50 tickets. If you end up playing for a high school team and wish to opt out of fundraising emails please let us know.

I wish you all good luck this year! Please feel free to email myself at fundraising@whalers.org for any questions related to the draw or for team fundraising inquiries. I am here to help and like always your feedback is appreciated.

Christian Hiriart

Whalers Fundraising Coordinator

Fundraising@whalers.org

Sep 30, 2021

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Vaccine reminder

Dear Members,

As announced by the Government of Nova Scotia today, Nova Scotia will move into Phase 5 of the reopening plan on October 4.Starting Oct. 4, people who are 12 and older will need to provide proof of full vaccination to participate in most events and activities that bring groups of people together. Masks will also be required to be worn in all public facilities.

To facilitate a smooth transition to this Proof of Vaccination, we will have additional volunteers at our Try-Outs to check for this proof and verification at the rink. Our volunteers have been instructed not to collect any personal data or to collect copies of the Proof of Vaccination. You can show either a paper copy of your record or a digital copy (on your phone). We will also be asking all participants to do a Pre-Covid Screening as per last year. Please ensure that this is filled out and submitted prior to coming to the rink. This is required for anyone (player, coach, team officials, spectators) attending Try-Outs, practices or games this year.

For players, where required and outlined below, we will check for proof of vaccination once. The player’s name and confirmed status will be kept on file so that players do not have to continue to bring proof every time they come to the rink. Players are welcomed to start showing their proof of vaccination starting September 30^th. This should help with the orderly flow of players to get ready and on the ice.

For volunteers, bench staff and on-ice support, we will also be verifying your status. Please ensure you bring your Proof of Vaccination and ensure that your name gets on our list with the Divisional Coordinator so that we don’t have to verify each time you come to the rink.

For spectators, for intersquad or exhibition games during the Try-Out process, we will have additional volunteers to check and verify proof of Vaccination at the rink before you are allowed entry into the spectator area. Just a reminder that spectators will only be allowed in the lower areas of the rink at RBC Centre during the Try-Out period. We ask for your cooperation and patience as we implement these new measures. We are a volunteer driven organization and we do appreciate all of the efforts by everyone involved.

Quick Facts:

People with a valid medical reason that prevents vaccination can get an exception letter from their physician or nurse practitioner to show instead of proof of full vaccination.
A small number of Nova Scotians who participated in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials have already been sent an exception letter to show instead of proof of full vaccination
People over the age of 18 are required to show proof of full vaccination.
Children who turned 12 between January 1 and October 4 this year will have until Dec. 31 to attend events and activities while they get vaccinated; children who turn 12 after October 4 will have three months from their birthday
Youth who are 13 to 18 years old and have proof that they received one dose of vaccine can participate in sport, recreation, arts and culture programming and have until October 26to get their second dose.

If you require more information on this policy, please refer to Government of Nova Scotia website at:

https://novascotia.ca/reopening-plan/phase-five/

If you need the link for proof of Vaccination, please use the following link:

https://novascotia.flow.canimmunize.ca/en/portal

We are all looking forward to a great start to the season and keeping everyone involved safe.

See you at the rink!

Sep 29, 2021

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REMINDER: Initial Down Payment of 20% of Balance Due September 30

As mentioned in yesterday’s message that was sent out we will be sending out daily communication each evening with important information and reminders for the season to get started. Tonight’s message is a reminder that of the 20% down payment by September 30th, which is just two days away.

If you have not done so already, please ensure your down payment of 20% of the total invoice balance is made no later than September 30, 2021. Players who have not made this payment will not be permitted to participate in further Dartmouth Whalers events, including tryouts and balancing, until this payment is received.

If you have not already let us know that you have applied for or intend to apply for funding, please contact financialassistance@whalers.org as soon as possible and include a copy of your confirmation (if applicable). If you have questions regarding applying for funding, review https://whalers.org/l/42/DWMHA/pages/1746/REGISTRATION---Financial-Assistance-Program/ or contact our financial assistance coordinator at financialassistance@whalers.org.

All etransfer payments should be sent to payments@whalers.org and ensure you include your players name and what the payment is for. Also please note you are not able to log back into the system and make payments via credit card once the registration is submitted, credit card needs to be chosen at time of registration.

Any questions please feel free to reach out to treasurer@whalers.org or registrar@whalers.org

Sep 28, 2021

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Important Memo for All Members- Start of the Season

Important Memo for All Members- Start of the Season

Welcome back to the 2021/22 Hockey Season! Through all the challenges and uncertainty through Covid, we are fortunate to have our players back at the rink practicing, trying out and seeing teammates and friends again. It is a busy time of season with school back in session, other Fall sports starting up and summer sports winding down. We are enthusiastic that this season will get off to a great start and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to be ready. This is a volunteer driven organization and there are many people helping out with planning, on-ice/check-in support, coaching, safety reps, the list is too long to name the number of people involved. Please do thank our many volunteers who have already spent countless number of hours to get us to this point and will be putting in many more hours during the season!

This is an important time of year, but is also a stressful time for many players, coaches and parents. This is why it is important to keep things in perspective and appreciate that we are one of the few jurisdictions in Canada who actually got to play games last year. While we had a few pauses and disruptions, we fared much better than most and we know that everyone will do their part again this year to make the season and our health and safety even more important. We also know the key to reducing the stress is to communicate with our membership and therefore you will be seeing ongoing communications to keep you informed of the season start up process. Stay tuned for daily updates!

Try-outs will begin for some starting this week. U13 will start this Thursday, September 30th, U11 and U15 will start Oct 4th and U18 will start the week of October 18th. We will start with skill sessions for all levels and this first and only session will be players and evaluators only. No spectators will be allowed during the skills sessions as we work to make the best environment for all involved. After the first skill sessions, we will commence with inter-squad games and one spectator per player will be allowed into the rink. We ask that all spectators to use the downstairs portion of the rink only. Upstairs will be exclusively for evaluators only. This is important to ensure that the evaluators have the best sightlines and access to the players.

Also just a reminder of the Hockey Nova Scotia Vaccination Policy that requires anyone 12 years and above entering the facility to show proof of vaccination. More information can be found here regarding this policy.

https://www.whalers.org/news/2317/HOCKEY-NOVA-SCOTIA-PROOF-OF-VACCINE-POLICY/

You will see a separate communication this week regarding this policy and how we will manage this process.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to your level coordinator or any Executive Board member. We will send out daily communications to keep you informed. Please read these messages carefully, as they will provide you with key information that you may need as we get through the start up phase of the season.

Thanks for your patience and ongoing support. Let's get this season started and we look forward to seeing you all at the rink very soon!

Cheers

Phil Power

DWMHA President

Sep 27, 2021

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Dartmouth Whalers 2021 - 2022 Email Distribution List

We have now created the Dartmouth Whalers 2021-2022 Email distribution list and an email was sent out this morning. If you did not get it please check your junk mail / spam folder and if it is not there then please complete the sign up form and we will get you added in the coming weeks.

Email Distribution List sign up

All communication that we as an association will be sending will be sent out to everyone on the email distribution list created for the 2021-2022 season. Also we have created division specific email lists based on where your player is registered and you if you are on the master list, you have been added to that as well so you should also receive any emails that are division specific.

If you do not want to be receiving emails, please scroll to the bottom of any email sent out and click on Unsubscribe. But please note, once you unsubscribe, our email system will not allow us to re-add you due to anti-spam laws.

Last, in the coming week we will being posting updates about season startup on our website. We will begin with Ice times and updates for U11-U18 Tryouts and will be followed by U7 & U9 ice times and then U11-U18 Balancing updates. When post these updates for the first time, we will send an email out to let you all know, Tryout updates or U7 Updates are now posted, but any updates after that WILL NOT BE emailed out, they will just be posted to the website and then shared to all three of our social media pages when updates happen.

To see updates, please go to our website whalers.org and on the menu click on Season Startup and from the drop down list choose either Balancing (U7 to U18) or Tryouts (11 to U18) and then from there click on the divisional page to see updates for that specific division.

If you have any questions please reach out to your divisional coordinator, their emails can be found on our webpage choosing DWMHA Governance on our menu and choosing appointed roles in the drop down

Thank you and here's to a great season

Sep 25, 2021