In-person Canada West meetings cancelled due to COVID-19
Conference’s AGM planned for May 4-7 in Victoria to be held digitally
EDMONTON – In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Canada West announced Monday that the in-person portion of upcoming conference meetings have been cancelled.
Canada West’s Annual General Meeting, originally scheduled to be held in Victoria, B.C. May 4-7, will proceed digitally on dates to be determined.
The decision, which was formally approved by a unanimous vote of the CW Board of Directors Monday afternoon, comes following an emergency meeting of the CW Board last week to discuss next steps in response to COVID-19.
In addition to the cancellation of the in-person portion of the AGM, the conference’s upcoming sports information meetings in June will now be conducted digitally on dates to be determined. The meetings were originally scheduled to be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada June 7-10 in conjunction with CoSIDA – the annual conference hosted for sports information directors from across North America.
“Canada West and our members are taking the COVID-19 situation very seriously. While our in-person meetings are key to accomplishing important conference business, we fully understand that limiting travel and contact at this time are paramount to ensuring the health and safety of all Canadians," said CW president and University of Victoria athletic director Clint Hamilton. "As leaders on our respective campuses, we will continue to get important work done remotely, as we collectively guide university sport through these uncharted waters."
Monday’s announcement marks the latest impact of COVID-19 on Canadian university sport. This past Thursday U SPORTS cancelled their hockey and volleyball championships, which were scheduled to crown champions on Sunday, March 15. Earlier Monday, U SPORTS also announced the implementation of a three-week in-person recruiting moratorium.
Canada West members continue to take the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of their student-athletes and staff. Members are following institutional guidelines, which are being informed by public health authorities.
Canada West staff, who work remotely from home offices across Western Canada, are continuing to work on conference business as per usual. Conference staff are following guidelines to mitigate risk and ensure the health and safety of the broader community, and encourage all Canadians to follow suit.