April is the first full month of Spring. When blossoms bloom with earnest, the sun tries a little harder, Pacific breeze rakes the new season in across English Bay into Vancouver and many members of the Jericho Sailing Centre community grab their paddles or unravel their sails for that first launch of the year. Except for this April. While an epically bad Covid-19 global pandemic rages through Metro Vancouver, April 2020 will be very different. China, Italy, Iran, the US; we’ve seen how bad this can be. For our neighbours down south the month of April is predicted to be a rudderless disaster. Federal, Provincial and City health officials are asking Canadians to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of Covid-19. Virus forecasters tell us this “beast”, as it’s known in the healthcare community, will rise like a viral tsunami over the first half of April, crest around the middle of the month and recede over the last half through May. Unfortunately, this is the best case scenario. According to the science, if we all lean into this and pull together really hard we might yet salvage a sea drenched summer on those friendly waves of English Bay. On the front line of this battle are many users of the Jericho Sailing Centre involved in Metro Vancouver’s health care community. They are just like you. They get it. Your passion for the ocean, for Vancouver’s spring and the ocean loving notion that the Jericho Sailing Centre is an essential service. This April these people would much rather be, like you, out on the waves of Burrard Inlet; or at home safe with their families but there is a war raging and we desperately need them to be where they are. They are scared. They risk their lives for all of us, putting community over self to fight this Covid-19 global pandemic disaster. They have a simple request of us. You know what it is. We have an important role to play in the war against this historic Covid-19 global pandemic. ALL Jericho Sailing Centre users are being asked not to use the facilities at all during April, 2020. We cannot keep it free from the Covid-19 virus, we cannot keep it safe for you or the people you come in contact with. Stay away. We cannot contribute to overwhelming our healthcare system. We understand how tough that will be for some. We’ve always thought of Vancouver’s Ocean Community Centre as an essential service too. It is, normally. During a pandemic, it is not. We cannot let this beast win, we all have to do our part. Show our fellow sailors, paddlers and rowers in Metro Vancouver’s healthcare system, and all the people who risk their safety working in essential services, that you support them and are doing your part by not visiting the Jericho Sailing Centre in April. Please put community over self during this community health crisis. 2020 Jericho Sailing Cente Schedule All scheduled events for April and May have been canceled and June is in jeopardy. We will re-calibrate our summer event schedule once we have a better picture. 2020 JSCA Fees The due date for 2020 JSCA fees was extended 3 weeks ago to April 30 due to COVID-19. Many JSCA members have been economically disadvantaged by this public health crisis. Anyone who needs more time can contact us via return email. Leaving C-19 in our Wake We will strive to re-open the Jericho Sailing Centre as soon as health officials say it is safe to do so. Please stay tuned for updates via this newsletter. The next scheduled “in the wind” is April 15.