CLIMBING ESCALADE CANADA ANNOUNCES SUSPENSION OF CEC COMPETITION SEASON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO COVID-19 OUTBREAK
MARCH 19, 2020: In light of the ongoing developments related to the COVID-19 virus, and after consultation with Host Facilities and the PSOs, Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) has determined that it is in the best interests of the Canadian climbing community to suspend the 2020 CEC competition season until further notice.
East and West Lead and Speed Regionals have been postponed and are currently under review; these events will not occur on the weekend of May 1st – 3rd, 2020, if at all. The CEC has been in communication with Host Facilities and the PSOs and will attempt to reschedule Regional Events, if possible.
Lead and Speed Nationals are currently under review. The CEC is working to build a contingency plan as it relates to Lead and Speed Nationals, more information will be provided as it becomes available.
In the coming weeks, the CEC will be working in collaboration with the IFSC, the PSOs and Host Facilities to develop a “Return to Competition” plan, which will take into account a number of possible scenarios in respect to the development of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Return to Competition Plan could take many forms, including but not limited to, further postponement or cancellation of Regionals, postponement or cancellation of Nationals, and adaptions to qualification requirements and competition formats for the 2020 competition season. Information will be provided to the community as it becomes available.
While unfortunate, this decision was the result of many strategic meetings with key stakeholders and was made with a view to protecting the health and safety of the climbing community and the broader Canadian community. The CEC is continuing to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and remains committed to protecting the health and safety of athletes, coaches, CEC staff and volunteers.
CEC wishes to thank the Canadian climbing community for their understanding, patience and continued support in this time of crisis. We applaud the initiatives from climbing facilities to close their doors to the public. Those are difficult decisions that add to the global level of stress, but they are the right thing to do. The CEC is currently exploring innovative ways to support the climbing community during this difficult time and encourage all members of the climbing community to reach out to us if they are in need of support.
For any questions or concerns about this release, please contact Christiane Marceau, CEC Executive Director, at cec.ed@climbingcanada.ca
For additional resources regarding COVID-19 please see:
World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Government of Canada COVID-19 Outbreak Update. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Canadian Olympic Committee COVID-19 Updates. https://olympic.ca/press/canadian-olympic-committee-covid-19-updates/?ref=homepagead
Government of Canada Travel Advisories. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html