COVID Response
Wide Open Spaces
As of Dec 26,2021 at 12:01, our location (previously green zone) is designated as per the province wide lockdown part of the grey zone for 28 days. We wish to inform you that as per Home page Laws O. Reg. 82/20: RULES FOR AREAS IN STAGE 1, Voyageur Quest, which is located in the Nippissing Parry Sound Health region is permitted and will continue to operate.
Our operation is well prepared for this:
- In spring, our operation transitioned from what was then lock-down to a step care approach re operating,
- Our heightened sanitation procedures and safety and operating protocols have been practiced, refined and reviewed continuously for many months (including at our most recent winter training)
- As many of you may know our office is in Toronto, so we are well acquainted with the grey zone requirements and procedures and have been exercising operating standards against this level.
For those interested:
- under Schedule 2 of Laws O. Reg. 82/20: businesses that may operate in the newly announced lock down include:
- “Hotels, motels, lodges, cabins, cottages, resorts and other shared rental accommodation….”
- And businesses, organizations and services… are permitted to operate the following relevant activities:
- Cross country skiing
- Dog Sledding
- Snowshoeing
- Ice-skating
- Tobogganing
Unlike in March, we are pleased that we will not be in a position to have to cancel bookings.
Please call our office qt 416-486-3605 with any questions.
IN GENERAL
With heightened care and attention we are implementing enhanced operational and sanitation practices following best practice guidelines and available information from applicable sector-specific Ontario recommendations, Health Canada, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Ontario Medical Association, and the World Health Organization.
Best practices for our staff and guests include, but are not limited to, physical distancing (staying 2 metres away from others), wearing a non-medical mask when this is not possible both indoors and outside, proper hand hygiene, availability of hand sanitizers, keeping surfaces and objects clean and disinfected, plexiglass use where applicable, and preventing contact with potentially infected people – all critically important measures.
Please note: in addition to regular notifications, all customers will receive an online notification with a COVID Waiver and Declaration one week prior to their booking. This will ensure that Voyageur Quest and Voyageur Outfitting are re-opening based on the assurances its customers make to Voyageur Quest and/or Voyageur Outfitting and to each other in this document. Accordingly, any false statements could result in Voyageur Quest and/or Voyageur Outfitting being forced to deny customer access. Further, customers agree to observe and fully abide by all rules, protocols and procedures set out by Voyageur Quest and Voyageur Outfitting including wearing face masks when with our staff both indoors and outside.
Additionally, we have adopted the following measures;
OUR COTTAGES AND CABIN RENTALS
- Honouring Check-in Times: Check-in time is between 12:30 PM- 4 PM.
- When you arrive a staff member will be checking you a the cottages and walking you through the cottages. Both staff and guest are to wear a face mask.
- Following COVID protocol, only one person from your party, will go on the check-in tour with our staff. Others will wait in car or outside. This will allow for a 6 ft distance between our team and you.
- We encourage you to purchase all the necessary groceries for your stay in your hometown.
- We also encourage you to limit the number of rest stops you take along the way.
- We ask that you bring your own personal hand sanitizers and to sanitize your hands prior to getting out of your car.
- Immediately upon entering the cottages we ask that you also wash your hands as per best practice handwashing procedures.
- Keys are disinfected and left for guests at a predetermined spot.
- Equipment rentals, if provided, are sanitized and/or washed with soap and water and left for guests without the need for person-to-person contact.
- Should custodian be required, he/she will speak to guests from the required safe distance
OUR OUTFITTER CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON
For Phase 1:
- our Outfitter will be operational on a dockside/curbside contactless model.
- canoes, paddles, and pfds will be left outside for the customer to pick up.
- store items such as bug repellent, sunscreen etc. can be purchased – ideally ordered on-line before arrival so the staff can also prepare order and leave outside.
- if this is not possible, the staff will retrieve the item from the store and bring outside.
- customers will not be permitted into the store.
- staff member will be at door and separated from the customer by plexiglass or window/door and able to process a Visa card into our database that customer will read out.
For Phase 2 (permitted as of June 12, 12:01 am)
- our Outfitter will adapt a controlled and staggered entry into our Outfitter to ensure physical distancing is maintained by limiting the number of customers that are permitted to enter our store.
- plexi-glass has been set up in order to separate the customer from staff while at the counter.
- Our Licensed Broken Paddle Patio Outdoors only, will be operating at lower capacity with our picnic tables distanced as per regulations.
In all phases:
- orders and payments whenever possible should be made in advance of customer arrival on our database system.
- a damage deposit for equipment will be held and returned when the equipment is checked by our Outfitter manager and all is deemed in good order.
- physical distancing markers at our entranceway and the area outside of the facility to remind customers to maintain a physical distance of at least 2 meters.
- markers to remind people of the importance of washing hands with soap on a regular basis and with hand sanitzer should that not be possible.
- signs encouraging people to wear a mask if unable to maintain physical distancing.
- an outlined one-way system for movement so that people not cross paths.
- available hand sanitizer at pay station.
- employees to set the examples of physical distancing (staying at least 2 metres away from others) and encouraging customers to practice physical distancing.
- outdoor seating, such as picnic tables, adhere to the physical distancing guidelines.
- control how many customers enter the site at one time (monitor entry/exit).
- Since March of 2020, rest assured that Voyageur Quest is following Public Health guidelines and direction in shaping our 2020 Our commitment is to providing you and your family a place to connect with each other, fresh air, and adventure – all at the edge of Algonquin’s wilderness.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this unprecedented event and we appreciate the healthcare workers, local communities, and governments around the world who are on the front line working to contain this coronavirus – offering us all hope.
If VQ is required to cancel a booking due to Park closure or Ontario government issued shut down of our operation, we will provide a full refund or a credit for future trip or stay.
For all other cancellations, please refer to our standard cancellation policy which is listed below. As always, we encourage the purchase of cancellation insurance.
Cancellation Policy Cancellation received 60 days or more prior to the trip – Full refund minus a $75.00 admin. fee. Cancellation received less than 60 days – Loss of initial deposit. Cancellation received less than 30 days – No refund will be issued without the purchase of cancellation insurance, purchased at the time of booking from your travel insurance provider.
Experience Algonquin
While so much has changed and we read about "reimagining", "reenvisioning", and "recovering" there is strength and stability in connecting to a sense of place that requires no redefining - the wilderness area of Alqonquin Park. It has always been here and perhaps more than ever we understand nature's ability to nurture our craving to connect. Settle into a rhythm paddling, hear the fire crackle or the wind howl, notice the fifty shades of green, inhale the view. Share laughter around a fire, share the ritual of morning dip, cast a line and share the anticipation. It's always been about this natural connection.... to the place, to the people, to the rhythms of Algonquin Park.
