WMHA Inclement Weather Cancellation Policy
**PLEASE SEE THE FULL POLICY OUTLINED BELOW**
Here is the step by step procedure to cancel a league, playoff or exhibition GAME:
1) If you are contemplating cancelling a game DUE TO WEATHER, please contact our Ice Scheduler, Blair Brewer at: [email protected]. PLEASE NOTE: you cannot cancel a game 24 hours in advance, due to a future weather forecast. A game can only be cancelled approximately 2 hours before your team would normally be scheduled to leave for the event.
2) In general, the HOME TEAM would NOT cancel the game. The visiting team, who is travelling would be the team to make the decision on whether to travel and potentially cancel the game.
3) The Arenas in the City of Waterloo will NOT close due to weather. They are considered warming centres and therefore, must remain open. If there is an issue with City of Waterloo Staff being able to make it to the Arenas due to the weather to service the ice or the dressing rooms, the City will reach out to the WMHA and we will reach out to
you.
4) Please DO NOT email the other Coach or Association. The policy to a cancel a game must be initiated by the Ice Scheduler (Scheduler to Scheduler).
Here is the step by step procedure to cancel a PRACTICE:
1) If you wish to cancel a scheduled practice due to the weather, please reach out to our Ice Scheduler, Blair Brewer at [email protected].
FULL POLICY
Waterloo Minor Hockey Association (WMHA)
The safety of our players, families, coaches, and volunteers is of utmost importance. Weather-related cancellations may be necessary during the hockey season to ensure everyone’s safety when traveling to or from scheduled ice times. The following outlines WMHA's Weather Cancellation Policy:
1. Authority to Cancel Events
- Practice/Team Event Decisions: Coaches or team managers may cancel practices or team events due to weather at their discretion. They must communicate cancellations to all team members promptly.
- League Game Decisions: Coaches or Team Managers may consider cancelling games if they are the VISITING TEAM and hence the team travelling. No decision can be made on the cancellation, until approximately 2 hours before your team would be leaving for the game. For example, we can’t cancel a game 24 hours before, because of weather that may or may not be coming to our area.
- Association-Level Decisions: WMHA may cancel all games, practices, or events if severe weather impacts multiple teams or locations.
- Facility Closures: If the City of Waterloo or facility operators (e.g., RIM Park) close facilities, all associated WMHA activities are automatically canceled.
2. Communication of Cancellations
- Association-Wide Cancellations: Notifications will be sent via the WMHA website, email, and social media channels as soon as possible after a decision is made.
- Team-Level Cancellations: Coaches or team managers must notify families via team communication tools at least 90 minutes before your team would depart of the game, where possible. We don’t want any Family attempting to travel only to find out, the event/practice/game was cancelled.
3. Factors Considered for Cancellations
Cancellations may be based on the following conditions:
- Environment Canada weather warnings, including snowfall, ice, freezing rain, or visibility concerns.
- Poor road conditions, as reported by local authorities.
- Facility closures or unsafe conditions in parking lots and walkways.
- Transportation cancellations (e.g., school bus cancellations may serve as a guideline).
4. Refunds and Rescheduling
- Ice Costs: Teams are still responsible for ice costs unless the facility cancels the booking (applicable to extra ice purchased by the team, for example).
- Rescheduling: WMHA will attempt to reschedule canceled games and practices but cannot guarantee replacement ice times due to limited availability. The reschedule times (when and where), will be up to the Host Association.
- Tournaments: Tournament-specific policies regarding weather cancellations will apply.
5. Responsibilities of Families
- Families are encouraged to prioritize their safety and assess local conditions before traveling. No player, coach, or volunteer should feel obligated to attend if they feel it is unsafe to do so.
- Parents must notify coaches promptly if they are unable to attend due to weather concerns.
6. Extreme Weather Monitoring
WMHA will monitor weather conditions using reliable sources, including:
- Environment Canada Alerts
- Regional and local road condition updates
- City of Waterloo facility updates
WMHA encourages all participants to exercise caution and communicate effectively during adverse weather conditions.