GHC COVID-19 Refund Plan Information
February 11, 2021
Dear Jr. Inferno Families,
Please see the attached letter from GHC President, John MacDonald and GHC VP Community, Jason Higgins for information regarding registration fee refunds for our Jr. Inferno players and the next steps in the process.
For information on our optional 2021 Winter Skills Program, please visit our Winter Skills Program page.
February 5, 2021
Dear GHC families,
As you know, the 2020-21 minor hockey season was officially cancelled on February 3, 2021. The safety of our members is paramount and GHC respects the directives of our governing bodies. We are now initiating our COVID-19 Refund Plan, which is guided by the following:
- Costs incurred per player per age group;
- Fairness to our members given the financial strain and uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on families;
- Long-term financial health of the organization.
From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to create an accurate pricing model for the 2020-21 season. In late Spring of 2020, the GHC Board of Directors voted not to increase player registration fees, to standardize our instalment payment plan and to remove the “late fee” increase from the payment schedule. We must now ask for your patience as we complete a few crucial steps to calculate the portion of fees that will be returned to you.
A large portion of fees is tied to ice rental, which the association pre-pays in large installments and is in the process of being refunded and reconciled. Hockey Calgary, Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada confirmed that they will issue partial refunds of annual league fees and insurance, which we will soon receive and reconcile. Other categories that make up our registration fees and AAA/AA fees will be considered individually, as some areas incurred expenses and others did not. This includes coach certifications; evaluations and try-out ice, third-party contracts and software; player development; equipment and jerseys; and general administration such as banking fees, staff, rent, software, etc.
Once the costs incurred per player per age group are calculated, our refund plan will be submitted to Hockey Calgary and also approved by the GHC Board. Hockey Calgary is currently working with associations to create alignment on refund communication and timelines. Our target is to begin processing refunds in TeamSnap by the end of February, but we will absolutely begin sooner if possible. Please note, TeamSnap is currently experiencing a high volume of refund requests, resulting in refund financial reporting and cardholder refund processing delays. Electronic refunds may take up to 15 days once GHC enters the refund in TeamSnap.
GHC’s goal is to provide our members with the highest value of programming while remaining fiscally responsible and ensuring organizational stability into future years. Our association is in good financial standing — our financial statements are public records and available for members to review annually at our AGM — and our refund calculations will be transparent and fair to our families.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
John A. MacDonald
President
Girls Hockey Calgary Association (GHC)
Jarid Poissant
Treasurer / VP Administration
Girls Hockey Calgary Association (GHC)