For PDF Version please select Pickering MSC Fall 2021 News letter

Hello Fellow Swimmers, 

We hope this newsletter finds you well & enjoying the summer. It is FINALLY that time of year to welcome you all back to the pool! 

 Please see below for all you need to know.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE September 20 – December 18 (13 weeks)

• Monday   9-10pm TPASC
• Tuesday  9-10pm Dunbarton (DIP)
• Saturday 8-9am Dunbarton  (DIP)

*Thursday 9-10pm at Dunbarton Indoor Pool (DIP) to be scheduled IF/WHEN all other times get filled*

The Winter/Spring 2022 schedule will be available closer to that time, but we are hopeful we can continue to offer a full practice schedule into the new year as well.

 CAPACITY

• TPASC has a max capacity of 24 swimmers for Mondays Dunbarton has a max capacity of 15 swimmers for Tuesdays & Thursdays & Saturdays*the Swim Club requires a min of 15 swimmers per practice in order to run the any of the programs*

COACHING

• Mondays – Dave & Paul will temporarily cover as the Club seeks a permanent coach 
• Tuesdays – Sam
• Thursday – Coach TBD if session runs
• Saturdays – Rene

Iain – as some of you may know, Iain will not be returning as a coach for the Pickering MSC. Life has taken him West of Toronto and therefore, continuing on with Pickering unfortunately does not work for him at this time. Please feel free to reach out directly to Iain to let him know how much you appreciated his time & dedication to the swim club. He will be missed, and we are hoping to convince Iain to join us for a pint sometime in the future!

PRICING & REGISTRATION

In order to register, please go to https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/  and follow the process. As indicated you must first join the club and MSO with a $15 fee. Thereafter you can enroll in the desired session(s). If you wish to enroll in multiple sessions, we would ask that you enroll in your first choice first and pay for it. If you wish to then enroll in others, please go ahead, but do not send funds to pay until requested. This to ensure all swimmers have an opportunity to swim. If a session is full, please add yourself to the waiting list. Once all swimmers have had a chance to select their first selection, we will assign any vacant spots to those requesting in the order they are 

 Mondays – 12 Evenings = $120 Commencing Monday September 20, 2021 9:00 pm at TPASC

 Tuesday  –  13 Evenings =$140  Commencing Tuesday September 21, 2021 9:00 pm at DIP

 Thursday – 12 Evenings = $130 Commencing Thursday September 20, 2021 9:00 pm at DIP
                  *** If offered ***

  Saturday – 13 Mornings = $140 Commencing Saturday September 25, 2021 8:00 am at DIP

If you are a swimmer who paid in full prior to the most recent lockdown, please know that we have not forgotten about you! Details of a swimmers credit to follow this initial round of registrations. Individuals will be contacted directly. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate these uncharted times for the Club.

 COVID PROTOCAL – the facilities where the Pickering MSC will be swimming are governed by the most recent vaccine requirements outlined by the Ontario Provincial Government. These new requirements come into effect on September 22, 2021.

The vaccine certificate system will cover “higher-risk” indoor spaces where masks can’t be worn at all times. It applies to the following settings:

• • • • • • Restaurants and bars (excluding outdoor patios, delivery and takeout).
          • Nightclubs, including outdoor areas.
          • Meeting and event spaces like banquet halls and convention centres.
          • Sports and fitness facilities and gyms, with the exception of youth recreational sports.
          • Sporting events.
          • Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments.
          • Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas.
          • Strip clubs, bath houses and sex clubs.
          • Racing venues.

We are excited to welcome you all back to the pool! As always, please forward any and all questions, thoughts & concerns regarding this upcoming year. 

Note: If you have already sent your money to enroll in the club, we will try to facilitate the completion of your enrollment. Although there may be a request

to adjust funds. Our apologies for any inconvenience as per this miscalculation. Please rest assured that we only charge what is necessary to maintain the club which is 100% non-profit.

Follow us on FB and IG

Well, as I am sure, most of you have heard, we are back into a provincial wide shut down for a month, including no access to pools.

Although we will all miss our swims and many other things, most would agree that this is a necessary step. 

Please continue to monitor the web site and emails if you are a member for alternatives including, like last time, any virtual options if there is interest.

Stay safe and get vaccinated if it available to you.

Any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please let us know at membership@pickeringmsc.ca. 

Pickering Masters Swim Club  (PickeringMSC.ca)

Thank you for all those who have responded to the survey we sent out. So far we have received over 40 Reponses. Although some have understandably opted to wait, we have had enough folks reply to the affirmative to tentatively offer all three sessions at this time. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. These have now been posted at https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/. Our aim is to start these as indicated next Tuesday March 3, 2021 from 8:00-9:00 pm and run for 6 weeks until the April break. If you swam back in November with us, be assured that we are following the same strict protocols as we previously used i.e. see https://pickeringmsc.ca/covid-19-pool-setup-and-general-practice-instructions/ . We have received approval from the local Health Department and the city of Pickering and with the above safety measures in place we are ready to start back in the pool.  

To sign up, simply login and go to the membership page and select the session(s) you would like to enroll in and provide the required information.

• Not a member this Season? Simply e-transfer us the $12 to join MSO and you are in.
• Already a member this season? Login and signup to sessions you are interested in.
• New to the club?, simply go to the bottom of the membership page (https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/), (signup), and follow prompts.

Please note the following:

• First come, first serve. This includes receipt of payment i.e. e-transfer.
• You will be given priority to sign up for your first choice session i.e. based on receipt of payment.
• If there is space i.e. less than 15 and you wish to swim more than once a week, also enroll in these with payment.
• If we receive less than 15 enrollment for a session, the session may be cancelled for this time around.
• If you submit a payment for a session and it doesn’t run or you did not get in, your payment will not be processed.
• If we get shut down after we start due to health regulations, we will try and keep track of your attendance to that point and credit you upon resumption of swimming. It should otherwise indicated that we a have a no refund policy.

Please remember this is an organization run by volunteers, your support in complying with the health regulations and maintaining that while in the pool will help us all to keep doing what we enjoy.  A club of athletes, friends and healthy people.

Note: We also had a strong survey response to returning to the Pan Am and to an OWS program. We are definitely committed to returning to TPASC when we can i.e. when restrictions allow. For the O(pen) W(ater) S(wim) program we will keep the dialog open as we move towards the warmer weather.

As always, any suggestions / questions / concerns may be directed to membership@PickeringMSC.ca

The Executive

Pickering Master Swim Club (https://pickeringmsc.ca/)

Are we or aren’t we. To swim or not to swim. Try to return to a bit of normalcy with caution or stay sequestered in our homes?

As the region of Durham moves out of lock down and into red, the regional department of health office and the city of Pickering has given us the go to return to what we had before we went into lock-down. That being limited access to swim while observing very strict COVID guidelines including 2-meters at all time, screening, and limiting the numbers we are allowed to have in the pool to 18 which we have reduced to 15.

Sorry about those looking for return to TPASC, but currently still off limits as per lock-down. It does however remain on our radar.

It should be stressed that the situation is very fluid (pun intended) and we could move either to more restrictions or less at any time.

If it is a go, we could look at a return to the pool as early as Tuesday March 2, 2021. With sign up being available later this week.

Enrollment will likely be the same as before the lockdown. We will schedule two (2) consecutive sessions for each swim slot i.e. Tuesday/Saturday/Thursday depending on demand. For example March 2, 2021 to April break and then from April break until the end of May.

Please check https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/ for upcoming session.

As always, any suggestions / questions / concerns may be directed to membership@PickeringMSC.ca

The Executive

Pickering Master Swim Club (https://pickeringmsc.ca/)

Hello Fellow Swimmers! And winter hikers, snow shoers, cross country skiers, walk-around-the-blockers, road runners, frozen pond skaters, weight lifters, trail runners, zumba-ers, kitchen dancers….

While still out of the pool, there are so many other ways to keep us moving and healthy. If the colder temps are keeping you indoors, a few trips up and down your staircase can get your heart rate up, the circulation going, and your leg muscles working in no time. Moving in some way for just 20 minutes a day will keep you doing all of the things you love to do for a long, long time.

To support your efforts to stay fit & moving, the Swim Club is thrilled to once again offer our Dry Land Training for another 4 week session from the safety & comfort of your own home.

In addition to your mat, towels & pull buoy, please also have some free weights (2, 5 or 10lbs), resistance bands, or a good ol’ can of beans for some additional strength work. We can do a lot with little equipment, some knowledge of movement & joint/muscle loading, and a willingness to move in different ways. The body gets better with variety, so if you’ve done the same workout for years, try something new & see what happens!

We will increase our work in these areas;

• Core Strength & Responsiveness (for body control & back health)
• Shoulders & Upper Body (for pulling strength & injury prevention)
• Hips & Legs (for kicking & push off power)
• Stretching & Joint Mobility (for swim/activity prep & recovery)
• Breathing Exercises (for improved breath capacity in the water)

Dates: Feb.9, 16, 23 & Mar.2

Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Where: Zoom

Cost: $50 for 4-wk registration OR $15 per class for pay-as-you-go

Registration is easy with the link on our website https://pickeringmsc.ca/ 

or directly https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/ and select from Swim Sessions

Effective Saturday Dec 26, 2020, the province of Ontario is entering into Lock down until  Saturday Jan. 23, 2021. As such, all facilities including the Pickering Rec Complex and Dunbarton HS pool will be closed. This is also been the case for sometime for the Pan Am Sports Center at which the club also swims  i.e. being in the Toronto Lock down since November.

PickeringMSC has just completed two successful sessions, swimming on Saturday morning’s and Tuesday evenings through November and December. Although being somewhat restrictive in only allowing 15-18 swimmers to attend  per session, our executive and coaching staff have been able to adapt the pool configuration and workouts to accommodate the restrictions. Swimmers are being kept safe including screening at every workout and implementing protocols to ensure masks are worn at all times except while in the water. Our swimmers have been able to continue to enjoy a beneficial swim environment, all while maintaining our 2 meter social distancing.

Upon completion of the current lock down, the club is hoping to start new sessions including Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Tuesday January 26, 2021 through to the March Break. It should be stressed that this is dependent on the pools being allowed to open, which may well not be the case. If this does happen, the club will continue to adjust the schedule accordingly.

While the pools are closed, the club is looking at offering a 4 week block of “Dryland Training for Swimmers” virtually on Tuesday evenings  being led by our very own Laureen Karry, a 500HR Certified Yoga instructor. These sessions will be aimed at moves and exercises specific to strengthening and flexibility as they relate to swimming. Laureen is offing us a great deal to help us get ready to get back to the pool when restrictions are lifted.

Please visit https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/ for details which should be posted soon. For folks who are not currently PickeringMSC 2020/21 members, it is easy to join. Just go to https://pickeringmsc.ca/membership/

The only immediate cost, is that to join MSO (Master Swim Ontario). You can then sign up for sessions as individually costed.

Dunbarton HS Pool 655 Sheppard Ave, Pickering, ON L1V 1G2 (directions)

Legend

• Above allows for up to 6 swimmers per double lane.
• Each swimmer will then have a “home base”.
• Each double lane will swim in a counter clockwise direction starting at both ends of the pool. The order will be red, orange, and then yellow. Swimmer will leave 5-10 seconds apart from each end. It might be suggested that for each double lane one person be delegated to lead each set.  
• As indicated in diagram, in multi lap swims, swimmers should cut over to make their turn around the flags. If a swimmer does need to allow a pass or otherwise to needs to stop, they should pull into the area depicted by a circle above. They may then continue and/or proceed to their “home base” . 

General Instructions 

     Please remember to maintain your 2 meters at all times in the water and out

• Swimmers will enter/exit via main door to pool area adjacent to parking lot which may be accessed from second entrance on south side of Sheppard west of Whites Rd. 
• Swimmers will arrive 15 minutes before practice begins and proceed to screening area. Upon entry to building and until leaving the building, mask should be worn at all times except when in the water.
• Upon arriving at screening area, swimmer can sanitize hands with sanitizer. If mask is needed, one can be provided. Swimmer will then initial the screening sheet beside their name and record their temperature i.e. Hand held temperature monitor operated by one of the executive managing the screening.
• Swimmer can then proceed onto the deck removing footwear (bring bag if required). If swimmer has swim suit on, they can place clothing in bag and place on deck against wall adjacent to where they will be swimming. Change rooms are available to otherwise change and bring belongings on deck and place against wall.
• Swimmers may await instructions from coach at shallow end of pool or proceed directly to their allocated spot, remove mask and enter water. 
• The workout for each session will be posted to the website a day or two before the session. If at all possible, swimmers should print a copy and bring to the pool in a zip loc bag for eference.
• At the end of the session, swimmers can proceed to change rooms, change and leave

  Pickering Master Splashers Swim Club is trying to finally start the 2020/21 swim season with a new name, Pickering Masters Swim Club (PickeringMSC.ca). The executive is working hard to salvage some of the season and try to get members back to the pool in some limited fashion in these difficult times. Although the circumstances are very fluid and are changing day to day, we currently believe we can safely start one or two swim nights a week in Pickering at Dunbarton HS if enough interest is shown. Unfortunately, currently TPASC is unavailable to us due to scheduling conflicts, but we will try to include the Pan Am as time goes forward.

It should be stressed that returning to the pool entails many restrictions imposed to try to ensure the safety of participants. These include:

• Limited 1 hour sessions to 15 participants for the Dunbarton pool.
• Usage protocols to try and limited any transmission including social distancing, Masks when not actual swimming, and pool usage patterns to try and limited contact.
• Limited access to change rooms and washrooms. Although there will be access to the change rooms, showers, and washroom facilities, the use of the lockers will be restricted.
• Participants will be required to sign a few additional waiver as per normal practice with the pandemic.

Equipment – due to the restrictions, there will no equipment such as flutter boards, pull buoys, and fins available at the pool. Arrangements can be made to easily purchase these items. Also goggles and caps as needed. As these are part of most pool sessions, members are encourage to procure them if they don’t already own.

PMSC is a member of https://www.mastersswimmingontario.ca/. As such, all members must register through the club to provide insurance and guidance. In this regard, although not a big expense, MSO is encouraging Swimmer to register early. $6.00 from Sept 1 – Oct 31, 2020  $10.00 from November 1 – December 31, 2020 $12.00 from January onwards. So, even if you want to defer your start to swimming, the club will be happy to get you registered. Just let us know.

The club will try and host some Zoom meetings to keep everyone up-to-date and of course provide some social contact for members. This as physical get togethers such as pubs and our Saturday morning breakfasts will not be possible or recommended to keep us all safe.

If you would like to get more information on the club and/or be added to our email list just drop us a note at membership@pickeringmsc.ca (https://pickeringmsc.ca/contact-us/). Perhaps check our Facebook group at PickeringMSC FB Group

A members meeting will be held Tuesday October 20, 2020 at 8:00 pm. Open to all. If you would like to attend and are not on our mail list, just let us know and a link can be provided.

Pickering Masters Swim Club (PickeringMSC.ca)

Unfortunately due closures of all swimming facilities, Pickering Master Splashers will have to suspend all 

swim sessions until facilities become available currently published to be Monday April 6, 2020.

Please see:

 Pickering – Pickering covid-19-update

TPASC  – Any updates specific to Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre will be posted                        to www.tpasc.ca/coronavirus 

During this time, please find time to stay active i.e. get outside (walk/run/ride).

Please check email and web site periodically for any updates

stay safe and well

Good news. Repairs at DIP are complete and the pool is again available. Next practice is Saturday January 11, 2020 7:30 – 8:30 am.

Also remember , you are invited to join us for breakfast after practice i.e. 9:00 am at 

Kathryn’s Grill & Bar Address: 376 Kingston Rd, Pickering, ON L1V 6K4 Phone: (905) 509-4421.