News & Events
Official Notice of Virtual Annual Members' Meeting (AMM) - December 21, 6:00 pm
We are inviting all volunteers, athletes, and community members to join us for this year's AMM. Link to register: https://forms.gle/ytAjUbqK31f3xb9c7 (you need to register to receive link to join) We will be providing a general overview of SOO Greater Ottawa's strategic and financial position, specific community updates, along with a question and answer period. We currently have four council positions up for election. If you believe you have the skills and the interest to run for these positions, please send a declaration of interest via e-mail to our programs chair, Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympicsottawa.ca), ideally before December 15th, 2020. Positions up for election this year are as follows:
Note that while the following council position isn't up for election, we are actively recruiting for the role since our current lead, Lindsay McPhee, is stepping down: 1. Programs Chair - job description Nominations for positions up for election and the Programs Chair role can be made any time up to and including on the floor at the AMM on December 21 by submitting a declaration of interest to Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympics.ca). Friends and family are welcome! We look forward to hosting you virtually on December 21! |
Announcement - Registration now open for fall/winter programs!
We are now accepting registrations for fall/winter programs via methods outlined below. Registration deadline is September 10 at 11:59 pm ET to be entered into the lottery for sports that hit capacity. After September 10, athletes can still register via online/mail-in but will be immediately waitlisted if their program(s) of choice is/are at capacity. We will be making an announcement after September 10 re which sports are going to the lottery and next steps for those programs. Because we implemented the lottery system, there is no benefit to registering in person versus other methods. Please use recommended registration option where possible. Ways to register:
Current sports open for registration
Note this list will likely grow as we confirm details for further programs. We’ll update website/social media channels as new programs get added. Most up-to-date list will always be available here. *IMPORTANT INFO FOR NEW TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES* You will also need to register with Special Olympics Ontario here before you can access our programming. Make sure you do so ideally before September 10, latest before first practice of any programs you get into. See attachment for 2022-2023 fall/winter registration form. See Registration FAQ and Registration Policy for more info (both documents also available via Forms & Resources). |
Official Notice of Virtual Annual Members' Meeting (AMM) - December 22, 6:30 pm
We are inviting all volunteers, athletes, and community members to join us for this year's AMM. Link to register: https://forms.gle/cofX3a1K75L7jNTg9 (you need to register to receive link to join) We will be providing a general overview of SOO Greater Ottawa's strategic and financial position, specific community updates re RTP and Major Games, along with a question and answer period. We currently have five council positions up for election. If you believe you have the skills and the interest to run for these positions, please send a declaration of interest via e-mail to our programs chair, Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympicsottawa.ca), ideally before December 15th, 2020. Positions up for election this year are as follows:
Note
that while the following council position isn't up for election, we are
actively recruiting for the role since our current lead, Priya, is
stepping down: 1. Communications Lead - job description Nominations for positions up for election can be made any time up to and including on the floor at the AMM on December 22 by submitting a declaration of interest to Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympics.ca). Friends and family are welcome! We look forward to hosting you virtually on December 22!  |
| Attachments:
Virtual AMM.png
Official Notice of Virtual Annual Members' Meeting (AMM) - December 16, 7 pm
We are inviting all volunteers, athletes, community members to join Special Olympics Ontario - Greater Ottawa's Council for our virtual Annual Member's Meeting (AMM) on December 16, 2020 at 7 pm. We will be providing a general overview of SOO Greater Ottawa's strategic and financial position, along with a question and answer period with our Council Members. We'll be talking about return to programming, including safety precautions we've put in place to protect volunteers and athletes as we kick start in-person programming again after pausing it over the summer due to COVID-19. We currently have four council positions up for election. If you believe you have the skills and the interest to run for these positions, please send a declaration of interest via e-mail to our programs chair, Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympicsottawa.ca), ideally before December 9th, 2020. Positions up for election this year are as follows:
Nominations can be made any time up to and including on the floor at the AMM on December 16, 2020 by submitting a declaration of interest to Lindsay McPhee (programs.chair@specialolympics.ca). To gauge numbers, we've set up a registration page: https://soontar.io/OttawaAMM. Please register to get access to link to join. Friends and family are welcome! We look forward to hosting you virtually on December 16!  |
| Attachments:
Ottawa Virtual AMM Poster.pdf
COVID-19 Update: Return to programming (RTP)
Dear Athletes, (Parents and Guardians): We are excited to announce that Return to Programming is underway for certain Ottawa clubs. We can't wait to welcome athletes back to in-person programming, where it makes sense for them. Some specific updates around the process are provided below. Registration for fall programming We won't be hosting an in-person registration day this year, given the current health and safety protocols around social distancing. We don't think it would be safe given the number of people who typically come out in person to register. Registration will be on a sport-by-sport basis as per below. Instead, head coaches/team managers will be reaching out to past participants in their club for expressions of interest in returning. Guidelines around RTP, for the most part, limit participation to returning athletes. Expression of interest steps (once RTP forms for club have been approved by SOO) 1. you will receive an email from head coach/team manager asking you if you would like to participate this season (if you previously participated) 2. you will respond indicating your interest in participating - please review sport and facility requirements prior to doing so to ensure you can comply a. see further note re requirements/guidelines below 3. if # athletes who express interest is greater than program capacity, roster will be determined by lottery, you will be notified prior to lottery if this is the case a. see further note re capacities below 4. if you are accepted into program, you'll receive a confirmation email from your head coach/team manager with information on the following: a. reiterating health and safety guidelines, specifically those related to before, during and after practice b. date/time/location of first practice c. cost of program - payment required at first practice d. any additional information re changes to training due to social distancing requirements 5. at first practice, you'll sign a declaration and provide payment a. see further note re first practice below So far we have been able to kick start this process with Orleans swimming and modified Floor hockey. Past athletes in those programs should have received emails with detailed information on specific sport and facilities guidelines/requirements. We will be in touch with head coaches/team managers of other fall/winter clubs in the next couple days to determine when it might be safe for them to return to programming. Please be patient as we work through RTP on a sport-by-sport basis. If you haven't heard from your head coach/team manager, it means that club is not ready to start back up yet. Health and safety requirements/guidelines for RTP Note that each sport has specific club guidelines as well as guidelines re before, during, and after practice; but we'd like to highlight the following requirement that applies to all clubs: · athletes who are unable to follow verbal instructions regarding physical distancing or who require "physical manipulation/hand over hand" instructions to complete drills are recommended to continue with virtual training or general fitness training at this time Please ensure you only express interest if you're able to follow verbal instructions, can physically distance, don't require physical manipulation, and can comply with any additional sport/facilities requirements. Unfortunately we need to apply any and all requirements/guidelines strictly, and won't be able to accommodate any exception to them. We have asked head coaches/team managers to vet lists after expressions of interest are collected as they should know best whether an athlete can comply with the requirements to ensure health and safety of all involved. Capacities As an FYI, clubs will have much lower capacities due to health and safety requirements. Because of this, it's possible more sports will go to lottery, but we expect there will also be a number of athletes who won't be returning to in-person programming yet either due to inability to comply with health and safety requirements and/or them not feeling safe to return given their circumstances. Lottery process will be similar to last year. If the final roster will be determined by lottery, athletes who expressed interest will be notified in advance of it happening. What to expect at first practice You will be asked to sign a covid declaration, and attendance will be taken at first practice and every practice after. You will not be able to participate until you sign the declaration. You will also need to bring payment in the form of cheque, money order, or cash. Please place in sealed envelope with the following information written on the outside: · athlete name · club · method of payment · amount of payment Your head coach/team manager will collect both the form and payment. Lastly Note that we have reached out to ParaTranspo re service given the requirement to "get in, train, get out." Please let your head coach/team manager know you're worried about being able to show up max 15 minutes before and leave within 15 minutes of the end of practice. Also note, as always, all of the above could change if the province or SOO puts out new regulations around social distancing/gathering limits etc. We have to keep in mind that we're still in a fluid environment due to COVID but we're hoping we'll be able to have in-person programming up and running for a while. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Lindsay McPhee, Programs Chair, programs.chair@specialolympicsottawa.ca or your head coach/team manager if you have any questions on the above, or if anything isn't clear. All of the above is because your health and safety is of the utmost importance to us. We can't wait to welcome you back if it makes sense for you! Stay tuned for more updates around virtual programming and SOO's new tablet program.
- Your SOO Greater Ottawa Council |
COVID-19 Update: Summer programming
Good evening SOO GO community, As you may have already seen, Special Olympics Ontario has extended the suspension of programming/fundraising etc to June 30, 2020. Given this further extension, summer programming won't be kicking off until earliest July 2020. Until we know when we'll be able to start back up, we're in a holding pattern to determine next steps for summer.We recommend signing up for SOO's newsletter as they are sending out great information around staying Healthy@Home, staying connected on a regular basis, and they'll be sending out up-to-date information around when we'll be able to start back up as well. We recognize that many of you are anxious to see friends and get back to the sports you love, but your safety is our priority and until SOO, as well as local public health authorities, say it's okay, we can't move ahead with our programming. We're thinking of you and we hope you're staying safe and staying connected (virtually) to friends and family. - Special Olympics Ottawa Council |
COVID-19 Update from SOO
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COVID-19 Update - Summer registration
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Special Olympics Ontario - Communication Advisory COVID-19
March 24, 2020 Communication Advisory - COVID-19 Attention: Special Olympics Ontario Communities, Clubs, Volunteers, Athletes, Partners, Associates and Families In consultation with local and provincial health authorities and Special Olympics programs across Canada, please be advised that Special Olympics Ontario is continuing its directive that all local sport programs, competitions, fundraisers and related activities continue to be suspended until April 30, 2020. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the status of the pandemic on a month-to-month basis and advise you on or before April 30th regarding the future status of our programs. Special Olympics Ontario staff are hard at work on a number of initiatives focused on keeping athletes, volunteers and partners active, connected, informed and positive through this very difficult time. For more information and updates, please visit the Special Olympics Ontario website at: https://www1.specialolympicsontario.com/covid-19-updates/ Should you have any questions or would like to speak with a staff person please email covid19@specialolympicsontario.com or call 1-888-333-5515 ext. 311 to leave a voice message and we will follow up with you. Stay Safe Everyone! Thanks for your understanding, Glenn MacDonell |
Updated Statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 14, 2020 Re: Updated Statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) To: Athletes, Volunteers, and all members of the SOO Greater Ottawa Community From: SOO Greater Ottawa Community Council Dear Athletes, Volunteers, and SOO Greater Ottawa Community Members By now many of you have seen the March 13th statement from Glenn MacDonell, President & CEO of Special Olympics Ontario regarding the decision to suspend programming until March 31, 2020. We understand that for many of our athletes, volunteers, and their families, this situation will create an understandable amount of uncertainty and you will have questions about how SOO Greater Ottawa is managing this news and programming in our community. In light of this, the SOO Greater Ottawa Council is taking the following steps: 1. Effective immediately, we are announcing the end of the Winter/Spring Program season. Though some sports may have had additional practices scheduled into April, these will not take place.This cancellation includes any planned social events as well, such as end of season parties/gatherings. 2. All Special Olympics travel, tournaments and events through March 31st are suspended regardless of size. Reimbursements will be arranged for athletes who have paid registration fees for impacted events. We will release a communication for reimbursements at a later date, please do not contact the Treasurer at this time. For tournaments scheduled to take place after March 31st, council and Head Coaches will remain in contact with tournament organizers and notify affected athletes of any changes. 3. We will not be issuing refunds for the regular sport season as more than 75% of the season has now passed for all programs. 4. We will be conducting summer registration by mail-in or drop off only. We will add a section to the form to enter credit card information, and council will manually process those payments if/when the time comes to start summer sports. Those wanting to pay with cash or unable to mail-in, will have options available for dropping off their forms at a specific location/locations. Cheques and credit card payments will not be processed/cash will not be deposited until we confirm the start date of summer programming. A separate communication regarding the summer registration process will follow in the coming days. Please hold any questions about registration until that time. 5. We will maintain our existing facility bookings for our summer sport programs in the event that SOO determines a return to regular sport programming is safe and subject to the availability of relevant facilities (such as schools). 6. While we are optimistic, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Athlete's Banquet to a date to be determined until we can be sure the health and well-being of our athletes can be sufficiently guaranteed. We understand that the suspension of our programs is upsetting for many, as we all appreciate the value and joy of participating in community sport. We will continue to share regular updates with the community as the situation evolves. In the interim, please continue to follow the guidance of the relevant public health authorities. You can continue to find key information on both the Special Olympics Ontario and SOO Greater Ottawa websites. Best Regards, Kyle, Lindsay, & the Special Olympics Ontario Greater Ottawa Community Council |
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