BC Government Approves Plan to Restart Amateur Sports and Tournaments

August 24, 2020 — Amateur sports and sporting tournaments are an important part of a healthy and engaged community, but in Burnaby they are also significant economic drivers.  With an unmatched collection of sporting facilities, sports tourism has become a major component of Burnaby’s tourism mix and attracts many visitors to our city where they buy products, eat at restaurants, and stay in hotels.

During COVID-19, these activities have largely been put on hold, which is why the Burnaby Board of Trade applauds today’s announcement by provincial government and the Provincial Health Officer to begin re-opening sports and sporting competitions.

This move compliments an earlier announcement by the province to protect amateur sport organizations and their representatives from damages resulting, directly or indirectly, from COVID-19 for amateur sports. For example, a sports organization or its representatives will not be liable for a participant in their sports program being exposed to COVID-19 as a result of participation. That liability protection would be in place as long as they follow applicable guidance, such as viaSport’s Return to Sport protocols and public-health guidance on how to prevent the spread of the virus.

With this approval, organized sport activities and some competitions can resume across BC immediately, presuming they are done safely and in alignment with the reopening guidelines.