Communicable Disease Prevention Plan 

Last Updated: May 26th, 2022

Since 2016, Kootenay Backcountry Guides has provided unforgettable backcountry adventures to guests from Canada, the U.S.A., and other countries.  We have had the privilege of sharing the mountains of B.C. with many amazing people, making life-long friends, and working with fantastic staff.  Right now, more than ever, we appreciate all of you, our Kootenay Backcountry Guides crew.

We are taking all the necessary steps to be at the forefront of operating in a manner that adheres to all local, provincial and national guidelines. We work closely with our associations and partners: The A.C.M.G, the C.A.A, the C.S.G.A, the Backcountry Lodge Association (BLBCA), Avalanche Canada, and Whitewater Ski Resort, and other local businesses. For more information about travel to and from Canada, please visit www.travel.gc.ca.

Kootenay Backcountry Guides will be following all public health orders and guidelines as laid out by our provincial health officer. For up to date information, please go to https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/response

Preamble 

As COVID-19 vaccinations have become widely available to British Columbians, for those who have been vaccinated the overall risk of COVID-19 transmission and serious consequences have diminished. Despite this, the virus will still circulate as communicable diseases typically do. 

This guide provides information for guests and employees to follow ongoing measures to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and additional steps for an elevated risk of communicable disease. A communicable disease is an illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxic product that can be transmitted in a workplace from one person to another. Examples of communicable diseases that may circulate in a workplace include COVID-19, norovirus, and seasonal influenza. 

Vaccinations remain the essential criterion to comply with standing WorkSafe BC Updates and the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Orders. Still, while the controls are listed in order of effectiveness, all controls should be considered, as they often work best in combination. 

We are continually reviewing and updating our policies to make sure we are ready for you.  Any new information we receive will be passed along to guests and employees as soon as we get it and are posted on our website. Guests and employees will receive a thorough email with all your pre-trip or pre-course info a few weeks before your guided tour or course as well. Please ensure you review our Booking & Cancelation Policy.

This document delineates our approach for preventing the communal transmission of infectious diseases while visiting Nelson or participating in one of our scheduled programs during the current crisis. Note that we feel we need to point out that, no matter how many precautions and measures are taken, we cannot guarantee with certainty that communicable diseases will not find their way into our community. Therefore, we all need to do our part by getting fully vaccinated, showing up in good health, minimizing our social contacts before the guided tour/course, and strictly following the measures we have laid out in this document. 

Please refer to BC Centre for Disease Control website for up-to-date information on COVID-19 and other communicable diseases (http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/). Public health policies are updated at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/response

Travel to Canada Advisory

  • We encourage all travelers to be fully informed of the pre-entry and on arrival public health and testing requirements both federally and provincially. This includes the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app. In addition, travelers should plan for extra time in the lead-up, and upon the arrival of their trip. 
  • Please visit the Government of Canada website for the latest information on travel to Canada, including the updated federal requirements and restrictions. 
  • BC tour operators, accommodation providers, and attraction hosts have implemented stringent protocols to keep visitors safe. Visitors are asked to return the favor by traveling this esponsibly. 
  • Travelers are encouraged to reference Destination BC’s “Know Before You Go” page for information on the latest travel restrictions, what’s open, and more.

ENTRY INFORMATION: 

To qualify for the fully vaccinated traveler exemption, you must: 

Proof of Vaccination & BC Vaccine Card

Kootenay Backcountry Guides do not require proof of vaccination to join any of our courses or trips. However, we are subject to government and health authority rules regarding vaccination requirements. Lodges and transport Canada may require proof of vaccination to board helicopters or enter their lodges. We are not responsible for refunds to any participants who join a trip or course that are subject to vaccine mandates. Presently the B.C. government does not have any vaccine mandate for any services. This is subject to change. 

For more information regarding a possible vaccination mandate in B.C., please visit here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/vaccinecard.html 

Communicable Disease Policies

Kootenay Backcountry Guides will follow all public health orders as laid out by the provinces in which our trips and courses take place. These policies are subject to change. 

Environmental Hygiene:

  • Hand Sanitizer: 

      1. We recommend that all guides, instructors, clients, and students provide their own “Spray Pump Style” hand sanitizer, and keep it on their person throughout the course and guided days.  

  • Sharing Equipment/Gear:

    1. To help reduce the spread of diseases, we ask that guests/participants spray their hands with hand sanitizer when passing off gear.  

Personal Hygiene:

  • Conscious Self Health Monitoring: 

    1. We will also collect detailed contact information for each guest used for contact tracing purposes if necessary. 
    2. If any guides, instructors, clients, or students at any time during the duration of courses and guided days, feel ill, they will report this to their Guide/Instructor/office (1-833-KBGUIDE (524-8433). They are then instructed to complete the BC HealthCheck and complete the self-assessment. You are to follow the recommendations. 
    3. Any students/guests on a lodge trip who happen to become ill will be required to take a COVID-19 rapid test. If this person tests positive while on a helicopter access trip, they will be required to isolate themselves in a room at the lodge. If the person tests positive while on a trip that is accessed by foot. They will be requested to leave the lodge and return home to self-isolate. 
    4. All other guests and students will be offered rapid tests to assess if the virus has spread. 

Rapid Testing 

Rapid testing is evolving at the moment. As of now, we do not require that students or guests will have to take a rapid test to go on a lodge trip. The reason for this is the tests are not accurate enough to catch asymptomatic COVID. The tests currently available are great at catching COVID if the person is showing symptoms. 

  1. All staff and students will be offered a rapid test COVID-19 test any time they feel the need to assess themselves. 
  2. Anyone who happens to get sick while one of our lodge trips will be offered a rapid test. 

Individual Lodge Policies. 

  1. Kootenay Backcountry Guides rents lodges from private businesses. We are subject to and will follow their policies regarding their infectious disease control.

 

Kootenay Backcountry Guides COVID-19 2021/2022 Booking & Cancellation Policy:

11 COVID-19 Cancellations 

The following refund policy will apply if Kootenay Backcountry Guides cancels your booking because of reasons related to COVID-19, or if you are prevented from completing your booking because of a reason related to COVID-19 that are outside of your control such as closed borders. Note that contracting COVID-19 is not considered something out of your control. Trip cancellation covers you in the event that you or someone close to you contacts COVID-19. 

 In such case that borders are closed due to COVID-19:

  1. If Kootenay Backcountry Guides must cancel, we will notify you as soon as possible via the email address you provided at the time of booking;
  2. If you must cancel, you will notify us as soon as possible via email to info@kootenaybackcountryguides.com;
  3. Your deposit or final bill will be held by Kootenay Backcountry Guides and credited to a booking at Kootenay Backcountry Guides for a later date. 
  4. If you wish to have a refund instead of a credit towards a future trip we will provide a refund minus an administration fee of 25%.

 

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