COVID Response for the 2022 Season

Updated December 15, 2021

In light of the COVID pandemic, and the remote communities we visit and work in, all Kingfisher guides and staff are fully vaccinated. While outdoor activities like our kayak tours tend to have low risk of Covid transmission, we are thoughtful of other people we may have contact with, during our tours, many of which depart from, or visit, remote communities with limited healthcare resources and at-risk populations. Please consider the people you may encounter during your travels, and we encourage all our guests to be fully vaccinated before joining us.

It is possible that the BC or local governments may mandate proof of vaccination for tours like ours before the start of the season. Even now, travelling to our tour departure locations can be quite difficult if you are not fully vaccinated. To travel to Canada and to travel by air in Canada, you need to show proof of vaccination. If you plan to eat in a licensed restaurant or bar in BC during your travels, you also need to show proof of vaccination.

As part of the BC Restart Plan, Kingfisher has been working with a number of different kayak operators and other adventure tourism operators to develop COVID related best practices and procedure to operate tours. Guidance on these practices and procedures is taken for WorkSafeBC.

We take the risks associated with COVID-19 very seriously and have created the following practices and procedures, staff training and collaborations in partnership with our suppliers to help keep us all healthy and safe. We will be doing our best, with your help, to be as responsible as possible and minimize risks.

Please note that the below information could change based on directions provided by Federal, Provincial, and local governments plus the Public Health Officer. We will be fine-tuning this list closer to the season.

For the 2022 season Kingfisher is planning:

  • Offering our full regular tour program with base camp and expedition tours.
  • Maximum group size of ten guests on base camp and eight guests on expedition tours.
  • Distancing between guests and guides to be at mandated distance (currently 2 metres) and wearing a mask when distance cannot be maintained.

Pre-trip meeting:

  • All guests will be asked to complete a pre-screening questionnaire upon arrival to make sure nobody is showing symptoms or may pose a risk to others.
  • Sanitize your hands and be masked before entering our meeting space.

Transportation:

  • Wearing masks on buses and water taxis and sanitizing hands before entering.
  • Additional sanitizing of the buses between groups.
  • Working with our water taxi partners to sanitize the boat between groups.

Tents and Bedding:

  • While we still provide bedding and sleeping bags on our tours, guests may want to consider bringing their own sleeping bags, sheets and pillow covers.
  • You will share a tent only with someone in your “social-bubble” (e.g. partner, family or close friend).
  • We have enhanced cleaning, and disinfecting procedures between trips.

Kayaks and Gear:

  • We use a mix of single and double kayaks.
  • You will be sharing a double kayak only with someone in your “social-bubble”, or with a guide in the back of the kayak.
  • You will be using the same set of gear (PFD, paddle, sprayskirt etc) for the full duration of the tour.

Meals:

  • The meals we enjoy on our tours have not changed but how we serve them might. How we may serve our meals will be updated with the most recent public health officer recommendations prior to the start of the season.

Staff:

  • All our guides and staff are fully vaccinated
  • Additional guide and staff training to ensure best practices are implemented and adhered to.
  • Minimize staff change-overs in remote destinations.
  • Additional personal protective gear for guides and staff.
  • Additional contingency plans and procedures for illness on trips and the possible need to quarantine guides or staff.
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