BCTWS 2020: Update to members and participants
UPDATE: 3/29/2020
Hello everyone,
The BCTWS Executive again wanted to say thank you to everyone who registered for the now canceled meeting in March at the Prince George Civic Centre, its only with your continued support that we are able to host such great events. We are all very disappointed to not see and speak to each of you in Prince George this spring. We hope you all can help make our now rescheduled conference for the Spring 2021 that much better. Please watch for update on that event and on ways that we will engage and support members through the coming year.
With respect to registration fees for the recently canceled meeting, we are happy to inform you that after careful discussions with vendors and sponsors we are able provide full refunds to anyone who requests one. Support from the Prince George Civic Centre and the Wildlife Branch of the provincial government was instrumental in making this happen. Please, send us a request for refund at [email protected].
We at the BCTWS Executive do have to say we have been overwhelmed by the support of our members over the last few weeks. Many of you have taken it upon yourselves to reach out and donate your registration fee to our fledgling society. The meeting is such a big part of our annual activities. Apart from being the societies emotional backbone, it is also our societies primary fundraiser. We use funds from registrants to provide service to members, and although these activities can seem scant of late, we can only grow with your participation and support.
So, THANK YOU to all who donated their registration fees! We know not everyone is able, but we greatly appreciate those who can. If you’d would still like to donate your registration to BCTWS please let us know at [email protected] and we will direct your refund according.
Finally, we wanted to express out best wishes to all our participants and members and hope that all of you and your loved ones are well in this time of uncertainty. We know from experience the turmoil this has caused in many of our lives, especially as we turn our thoughts to those who by luck, means or circumstance have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Together we will weather these trying times.
Thank you!
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Hello everyone,
The BCTWS Executive again wanted to say thank you to everyone who registered for the now canceled meeting in March at the Prince George Civic Centre, its only with your continued support that we are able to host such great events. We are all very disappointed to not see and speak to each of you in Prince George this spring. We hope you all can help make our now rescheduled conference for the Spring 2021 that much better. Please watch for update on that event and on ways that we will engage and support members through the coming year.
With respect to registration fees for the recently canceled meeting, we are happy to inform you that after careful discussions with vendors and sponsors we are able provide full refunds to anyone who requests one. Support from the Prince George Civic Centre and the Wildlife Branch of the provincial government was instrumental in making this happen. Please, send us a request for refund at [email protected].
We at the BCTWS Executive do have to say we have been overwhelmed by the support of our members over the last few weeks. Many of you have taken it upon yourselves to reach out and donate your registration fee to our fledgling society. The meeting is such a big part of our annual activities. Apart from being the societies emotional backbone, it is also our societies primary fundraiser. We use funds from registrants to provide service to members, and although these activities can seem scant of late, we can only grow with your participation and support.
So, THANK YOU to all who donated their registration fees! We know not everyone is able, but we greatly appreciate those who can. If you’d would still like to donate your registration to BCTWS please let us know at [email protected] and we will direct your refund according.
Finally, we wanted to express out best wishes to all our participants and members and hope that all of you and your loved ones are well in this time of uncertainty. We know from experience the turmoil this has caused in many of our lives, especially as we turn our thoughts to those who by luck, means or circumstance have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Together we will weather these trying times.
Thank you!
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of the Wildlife Society
UPDATE: 3/16/2020
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
We at the BCTWS Executive wanted to say thank you to everyone who registered for our now canceled BCTWS 2020 conference originally scheduled for the 19th to 21st of March at the Prince George Civic Centre. We wanted to express out best wishes to all our participants and members and hope that all of you and your loved ones are well in this time of uncertainty. We also wanted to provide an update on refunds for the conference.
We apologize but we are not immediately able to provide refunds. We will refund you, but there are several non-refundable costs associated with the venue, insurance, and other preparatory expenses. As you can appreciate, we are a small and growing society that does not have large cash reserves to cover these expenses. We are currently assessing what these costs are and how to cover them. Many of our vendors and suppliers are doing the same. Thus, we will refund your money as soon as possible but unfortunately a small portion of these cost maybe be passed on to you. This portion is expected less than 15% per person.
Again, we appreciate your participation in the anticipated BCTWS 2020 meeting, it was proving to be one of the best yet. Stay tuned to how we plan to reach out to members over the coming year.
All the best
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
We at the BCTWS Executive wanted to say thank you to everyone who registered for our now canceled BCTWS 2020 conference originally scheduled for the 19th to 21st of March at the Prince George Civic Centre. We wanted to express out best wishes to all our participants and members and hope that all of you and your loved ones are well in this time of uncertainty. We also wanted to provide an update on refunds for the conference.
We apologize but we are not immediately able to provide refunds. We will refund you, but there are several non-refundable costs associated with the venue, insurance, and other preparatory expenses. As you can appreciate, we are a small and growing society that does not have large cash reserves to cover these expenses. We are currently assessing what these costs are and how to cover them. Many of our vendors and suppliers are doing the same. Thus, we will refund your money as soon as possible but unfortunately a small portion of these cost maybe be passed on to you. This portion is expected less than 15% per person.
Again, we appreciate your participation in the anticipated BCTWS 2020 meeting, it was proving to be one of the best yet. Stay tuned to how we plan to reach out to members over the coming year.
All the best
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of the Wildlife Society
UPDATE: 3/12/2020
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
Thanks to everyone who provided feedback to our decision-making process around BCTWS2020. Because of the feedback we have received, actions of other large institutions, and because the provincial health officer has recommended rethinking these gatherings, we have no choice but to postpone the BCTWS2020 meeting scheduled for Prince George on the 18th to 21st of March this year.
Our members and participants have been overwhelmingly supportive of the conference and our decisions over the last few days. It has been my pleasure to interact with such a fantastic group of people in such uncertain times. However, the number of people who have expressed concern and reluctance about coming to the conference continues to grow as does the concern from local health officials.
In order to keep our members and families safe, the Executive and Organizing committees have decided to cancel the spring meeting and attempt re-schedule this fall. For any number of reasons, we may not be able to reschedule, and so please keep checking email, social media, and our website for updates, www.bctws.ca. If you have booked travel or hotels, please remember to contact them as soon as possible.
If you need more information about Covid-19 or information on yours or your loved one’s personal health, please visit these websites, contact the provincial health authorities by calling 811, or see a doctor.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
Thanks to everyone who provided feedback to our decision-making process around BCTWS2020. Because of the feedback we have received, actions of other large institutions, and because the provincial health officer has recommended rethinking these gatherings, we have no choice but to postpone the BCTWS2020 meeting scheduled for Prince George on the 18th to 21st of March this year.
Our members and participants have been overwhelmingly supportive of the conference and our decisions over the last few days. It has been my pleasure to interact with such a fantastic group of people in such uncertain times. However, the number of people who have expressed concern and reluctance about coming to the conference continues to grow as does the concern from local health officials.
In order to keep our members and families safe, the Executive and Organizing committees have decided to cancel the spring meeting and attempt re-schedule this fall. For any number of reasons, we may not be able to reschedule, and so please keep checking email, social media, and our website for updates, www.bctws.ca. If you have booked travel or hotels, please remember to contact them as soon as possible.
If you need more information about Covid-19 or information on yours or your loved one’s personal health, please visit these websites, contact the provincial health authorities by calling 811, or see a doctor.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society
3/11/2020
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
While everyone is doing the final preparations on their talks, posters, and travel to Prince George for #BCTWS2020, we wanted to provide an update to reassure people we are thinking and preparing ways to keep all our members, participants, their families and communities safe and healthy this spring.
The BCTWS Executive and Organizing Committee are monitoring the COVID-19 situation including following the advice and direction all federal and provincial health authorities. We are working directly with our venue, the Prince George Civic Centre, our partners at BCTWS student chapters and universities, and plenary speakers to ensure we are talking every measure to reduce the spread of virus and keep everyone healthy.
For example, please find the attached information from the venue on the steps they are taking to mitigate risks, we have been working with them on increased staff for cleaning and food preparation and altering the catering to reduce risks. We are also working on ways to have more remote participation.
Our decisions will be guided both by information from our provincial and federal health care professionals, and of course all of you. According to the provincial heath officials, the risk level in BC is generally still low, and because of the small size of our conference, and our limited international travel our event posses a low risk to most, but certainly not all of the participants and their loved ones. We urge you to consider your own health and the risks associate with travel carefully when deciding whether to attend the conference.
Over the next 48 hours we will be making critical decisions about the conference and will communicate that out to you by email, social media and on our website. Currently we are still planning on holding the conference.
Please don’t hesitate to notify us if you have any questions or concerns and please do tell us if you feel you can’t come to the conference. We know each of us needs to make the best decision for their circumstance and we hope that we make decisions that can accommodate everyone in this year’s events, however that may play out.
For more information, please visit these links:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/mass-gatherings-risk-assesment.html?fbclid=IwAR3QZQvwghrVjDO1NLh6oveeIcxZOXEctMmkaKMo1fr9LtHo-9a0DwKPYq4
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
https://www.unbc.ca/safety/covid-19-coronavirus
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
Hello BCTWS Members and Conference Participants,
While everyone is doing the final preparations on their talks, posters, and travel to Prince George for #BCTWS2020, we wanted to provide an update to reassure people we are thinking and preparing ways to keep all our members, participants, their families and communities safe and healthy this spring.
The BCTWS Executive and Organizing Committee are monitoring the COVID-19 situation including following the advice and direction all federal and provincial health authorities. We are working directly with our venue, the Prince George Civic Centre, our partners at BCTWS student chapters and universities, and plenary speakers to ensure we are talking every measure to reduce the spread of virus and keep everyone healthy.
For example, please find the attached information from the venue on the steps they are taking to mitigate risks, we have been working with them on increased staff for cleaning and food preparation and altering the catering to reduce risks. We are also working on ways to have more remote participation.
Our decisions will be guided both by information from our provincial and federal health care professionals, and of course all of you. According to the provincial heath officials, the risk level in BC is generally still low, and because of the small size of our conference, and our limited international travel our event posses a low risk to most, but certainly not all of the participants and their loved ones. We urge you to consider your own health and the risks associate with travel carefully when deciding whether to attend the conference.
Over the next 48 hours we will be making critical decisions about the conference and will communicate that out to you by email, social media and on our website. Currently we are still planning on holding the conference.
Please don’t hesitate to notify us if you have any questions or concerns and please do tell us if you feel you can’t come to the conference. We know each of us needs to make the best decision for their circumstance and we hope that we make decisions that can accommodate everyone in this year’s events, however that may play out.
For more information, please visit these links:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/mass-gatherings-risk-assesment.html?fbclid=IwAR3QZQvwghrVjDO1NLh6oveeIcxZOXEctMmkaKMo1fr9LtHo-9a0DwKPYq4
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
https://www.unbc.ca/safety/covid-19-coronavirus
Bill Harrower
President
BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
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