Tag: covid-19

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November 20, 2020

Thank you to our entire Canucks Autism Network (CAN) community for your ongoing patience during this time. Our team continues working hard to ensure that our members are able to access in-person programming safely.

In response to yesterday’s new provincial health announcement, we will be resuming all indoor programs across the Lower Mainland beginning Thursday, November 26.

This decision is in alignment with Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommendations to allow indoor group physical activities, as long as proper health and safety protocols are in place.

That said, our team has developed updated Safety Plans for both in-person programs and family experiences. These new protocols ensure that our programs are either in line with, or exceed, provincial health recommendations.

Please note that while the suspension of indoor programs affected only the Lower Mainland, our new Safety Plan applies to ALL in-person programs across BC.

This includes all outdoor programs in the Lower Mainland and all programs in our Vancouver Island and Interior regions.

Updated Safety Plan: In-Person Programs

The following changes ensure that we can further support physical distancing and safety, while maintaining fun, active and individualized experiences for all participants.

Curriculum Updates

  • All children’s sports & rec programs will feature a station-based format in which participants are even further distanced within the program area.
  • All children’s sports & rec programs are now designed to be hands-free. Participants will focus on skills such as running, jumping, hopping and kicking. Activities that require touching equipment will be eliminated for this season.
  • Youth and adult programs will feature increased outdoor activities where physical distancing can be maintained.

Mandatory Masks

  • New health orders require mask use in all indoor public spaces – if you are able.
  • This includes facility lobbies, hallways, washrooms, etc.
  • We recognize that not all participants are able to wear a mask, but those who can are strongly encouraged to do so.
  • In alignment with other community sport programs and public health orders, masks will NOT be required on the ‘field of play’ (ie. on the ice, field or gym court).

No Spectators:

  • New health orders prohibit programs spectators of any kind. Parents/caregivers are no longer able to enter the facility and observe programs.
  • Participants will be dropped off at the facility entrance and CAN staff will escort them into the space.

Reduced Participants

  • In order to further support physical distancing, we will be decreasing the number of participants enrolled in each session beginning Winter 2021.

Physically Distanced Support

  • Provincial health guidelines require that CAN staff and volunteers maintain physical distance from participants.
  • For participants who have difficulty maintaining physical distance, a parent/caregiver may be asked to join the program to provide one-on-one physical support. If this is the case for your child, CAN staff will contact you directly to create an individualized approach.

Read the full Safety Plan for In-Person Programs. >>

Browse the Winter 2021 Program Guide. >>

Safety Plan Updates: Family Experiences

CAN Family Experiences will continue as scheduled. This decision remains in alignment with provincial health recommendations as long as families remain within their household bubbles.

In the past, the goal of our Family Experiences has been to provide opportunities for our members to enjoy local attractions together as a family, while also meeting other families in their community.

During this time of physical distancing, we must reiterate the need to eliminate interactions with other households at CAN Family Experiences.

We remain committed to providing opportunities for CAN families to enjoy attractions within their immediate household bubble and in their local community.

We will continue to work with venues and attractions to create opportunities for our members by covering the cost of entry fees and/or prioritizing venue access for CAN families.

  • Physical distancing must be maintained at all times and families must stay with their immediate household bubble.
  • CAN will ensure that all host venues/attractions have comprehensive COVID-19 safety plans and will work to secure more experiences for families in outdoor venues
  • In accordance with provincial health mandates, families are encouraged to limit travel across communities to access CAN Family Experiences

Read the full Safety Plan for Family Experiences. >>

During this time of uncertainty, we want to reiterate to our members that we are here for you.

We remain committed to providing CAN members with safe and physically-distanced opportunities to be active and engaged with their community.

And in recognition of the increasing need to provide programming accessible from home, we are also committed to expanding our virtual offerings into the Winter 2021 season and beyond.

View the Winter 2021 Program Guide.

Our team is keeping a watchful eye on any further provincial health recommendations and orders. Please note that at any point in time, additional temporary program suspensions may occur in accordance with new mandates.

Members will receive notifications of any program suspensions in a timely manner. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this time.

As the health situation in BC continues to rapidly evolve, we encourage members to be especially mindful during this time and to use sound judgement to ensure the safety of the CAN community – and the larger community we are a part of.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email info@canucksautism.ca.

Additional resources

May 15, 2020

Ryan Wu has been an enthusiastic part of Canucks Autism Network (CAN) for years! He has participated in virtually all our programs — from swim and multisport to family events and overnight camp.

In our many years of spending time with Ryan, we’ve come to know three things about him. He always has a positive attitude. He loves helping others. And he is GREAT on camera!

See Ryan’s recap of the Adults vs Kids Soccer Game at Multisport Camp four years ago!

So this past month, Ryan sent us a message that he wanted to share with the CAN community.

“I’m reaching out to YOU to see how you’re doing and how you’re managing through this COVID-19 thing.”

Ryan is obviously a creative young man. So he shared 10 things that he’s doing at home to stay busy!

1. Read a book
“If you don’t have a book, you can always use an app on your phone!”

2. Play a board game
“You can play Jenga or Uno — or my favourite game Taco vs Burrito! Or you could go old school and play hangman.”

3. Look at old photo albums
“Remember the good old days when you used to go outside. But don’t worry, this thing will be over soon! Just wait.”

4. Help out around the house
“An example of this is folding towels, which I do a lot of, since we wash our hands a lot!”

5. Go on a scavenger hunt
“But remember, only your family!”

6. Bake some cookies

7. Dress up as your favourite character
“Luke, I am your father!”

8. Build lego
“With your toys, you can act out a story!”

9. Take a nap
All these activities are sure to tire you out!

10. Throw a ball
Coach Robbie has a great lesson for throwing a basketball on his #MultisportMonday series!

11. Play hide and seek

12. Do multiplication tables
“But seriously. It’s important to stay at home at a time like this. It can sometimes be extremely boring — I get it.”

“This will be over soon. I promise. In the meantime, stay strong Canada. You can do this!”

Thanks for all these great ideas, Ryan. Such positive messages to share with the CAN community!

And remember, CAN has a full catalogue of #TeamMeeting videos and worksheets to do at home too! Visit canucksautism.ca/home.

Read more

Sebastian: “Living a life I like”
Sebastian has been a CAN participant since our inaugural year. Now, he is one of our most dedicated volunteers!

Keara: My experience coping during COVID-19
“I’m stuck between wanting to be social and wanting to remain in self isolation.”

Keeping it fresh and healthy with Keara
Keara shares a recipe she has perfected while staying home during COVID-19.

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April 22, 2020

It’s been a couple of years since we moved our headquarters to the Kitsilano neighbourhood in Vancouver.

But for years, we called the corner of Yukon and 2nd home. And just across the street is where our office staff got their daily caffeine fix at Starbucks. It wasn’t long before Store Manager Ann-Marie Lee-Teahen knew virtually the entire Canucks Autism Network (CAN) office team by name.

Although we’re no longer immediate neighbours, our friends at Starbucks remain CAN supporters who we are proud to celebrate this National Volunteer Week.

“When I became the community lead in my district, I reached out to CAN for volunteer opportunities,” said Ann-Marie.

“At that time, one of the managers in our district, Evelyn Campbell was a CAN mom.”

“Through CAN, her son Logan has been enrolled in so many sports and social programs. He has come leaps and bounds!”

As a group, Ann-Marie, Evelyn and their fellow baristas began volunteering in our office to help organize and prepare our program supplies. Ann-Marie even donated her time to support our Weekly Youth & Adult Program for a season.

“I received training and learned so much from the program with respect to understanding people with autism,” Ann-Marie said.

Our neighbours across the street were eager to contribute more to our community. So when we asked them to put up some posters to promote our CAN Family Festival in 2016, Ann-Marie got the idea to get involved with our events as well.

Hundreds of families needing to stay warm at our annual Festival of Lights at Van Dusen?

Starbucks was there.

Hockey players arriving early in the morning for an 8am game?

Starbucks was there!

Over the past six years, Starbucks has volunteered at CAN Family Festival, CAN Relay 4 Autism, CAN Festival of Lights and most recently the CAN Pro-Am.

And at each event, they were on hand bright and early or late at night offering a warm smile and a free coffee or hot chocolate!

But their incredible contributions don’t stop there. Through the Starbucks Foundation, Ann-Marie and her South Central Vancouver Starbucks District have donated a total of $3,000 to support CAN programs, training and community engagement initiatives.

Like many businesses, most Starbucks locations are closed due to the current health crisis. And our hearts go out to the many store managers, baristas and all those who are waiting to get back to work.

But knowing how committed they are to giving back, it came as no surprise that the Starbucks at Yukon St and 2nd Ave remains open to frontline workers.

Photo from Starbucks Stories Canada

Ever since our new life of social distancing began, Ann-Marie and her team have been serving free coffee to the many first responders and health care workers in their neighbourhood, including those from Vancouver General Hospital and Vancouver Police Department headquarters.

“It has been a very fulfilling experience, ensuring that our first responders can be the best they can be,” said Ann-Marie.  “If only through a cup of coffee.”

For most, a good day begins with a cup of coffee. For us, our daily lattes and cappuccinos turned into a friendship we have treasured for over six years and counting.

Thank you, Ann-Marie and Starbucks!

Read more

Volunteer Spotlight: “Be friendly to one another”

Vancouver Foundation: Extending CAN’s impact in Nanaimo and Kamloops

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April 10, 2020

Keara is a CAN participant, volunteer & regular contributor on our blog! Last month, she shared her initial experience coping with change during COVID-19. Today, she shares one of her favourite recipes to whip up at home!

I’ve been cooking and baking for most of my life. It’s a really good way to relax and de-stress. I’m able to utilize certain ingredients and create delicious dishes that my family and friends love. A couple of my favourites are ginger snap cookies and sausage and chicken with fire roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic seasoning.

I grew up cooking and baking with my parents and love helping out in the kitchen at home. I’ve always been fascinated with how certain foods are made. I’ve tried to make bread in the past, but it didn’t work out for me. One of my goals is to make pasta from scratch, because I love Italian food and a friend told me that she once enjoyed making it.

Keara (seventh from the left) assisting with meal prep at Rogers Arena as part of the CAN Explore Volunteering program.

I want to share some recipes with the CAN community as I would like to inspire other people to cook. Food is a big passion of mine. Making up my own recipes with the ingredients in my home is fun and educational. I become a better chef with each dish I make.

The CAN program and office staff have enjoyed my baking in the past, so I’m sure others involved with CAN would enjoy learning this home cooked dish – fit for three to four people.

Easy Tomato Dish with Sausage and Chicken

Serves 3 to 4

Fast and simple dish with tomato, sausage, chicken, vegetables, and herbs ideal for a family dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 2 mild Italian sausages cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2-3 chicken breasts (trim off fat before placing in dish)
  • ½ onion (I use purple onion because it’s milder)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the dish)
  • 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can of crushed tomatoes with herbs
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ½ ground pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves / or garlic plus seasoning (available at Costco)
  • 1 bell pepper (any colour)
  • Optional: small package of potatoes

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F before you start prepping your dish.
  2. Carefully cut up onions followed by garlic and the bell pepper, then place them in a deep dish (preferably a casserole dish) with 2 tbsp olive oil.
  3. Add chicken and sausage.
  4. Gently add the spices and salt & pepper followed by the 2 cans of tomatoes (add a small amount cut once in half if desired).
  5. Cook dish up to 1 hour or more depending on the type of oven you have. Keep lip on or cover with aluminum foil.
  6. Take the dish out after one hour to check the meat. If it’s not cooked through, give it another 10-15 minutes.
Once completed, Keara served her tomato, chicken and sausage with a scoop of rice!

CAN and Keara would love to hear what recipes you’re enjoying making at home while self-isolating! Visit our Facebook or Instagram post and share your favourite dishes in the comments.

Additional Reading

Keara Farnan: My experience coping during COVID-19

CAN youth & adults learn to cook with Coast Mental Health [Facebook]

Learn more about CAN Youth & Adult programming

CAN youth & adult members take the lead

Return to the CAN Blog

 

Mar 27, 2020

My name is Keara Farnan and I wanted to share my experience during the coronavirus pandemic.

I first heard about the coronavirus at the end of 2019, but never thought it would become a serious health crisis. I have become very bored with little to do at home. I’m still managing to stay in contact with my friends and my parents who live in Oliver.

But I feel very disengaged and isolated from society.

I go for walks after breakfast to get groceries and I notice people having to wait in line in to enter. When I walk through the grocery store, I notice most of the stock is missing. And there are signs indicating there is a limit to how many cans of soup customers are allowed to purchase.

Read Keara’s first guest blog with CAN, My life with autism.

I look around me and I see multiple people wearing face masks and gloves and trying to distance themselves from each other. I feel a sense of urgency; I’m not sure if I will be able to get the food I need to survive the next few weeks of this pandemic. The suspense makes me even more nervous.

As I approach the checkout, I notice large pieces of pink tape on the ground and one of the staff tells me to keep my distance. But, I’m not sure what they mean exactly because they didn’t tell me how many metres I need to keep from another customer. I feel panicked as I question if going to the grocery store was even a good idea to begin with.

I do not cope well with sudden changes and I become very grumpy if I’m on my own for long periods of time. My parents have always encouraged me to be more social and interact with my peers. Although, now is certainly not the time to be socially gathering with other people.

I’m stuck between wanting to be social and wanting to remain in self-isolation.

My work is closed, so I won’t be leaving home, except maybe to go to the grocery store or grab a coffee at a café nearby. I feel trapped inside the walls of my apartment as I stare out the window across and look at the other apartment building. It’s like the walls are closing in on me and I don’t like that feeling at all.

I wonder if my neighbours are experiencing the same kind of stress I am, and if other people would understand if I were to explain how I feel about the COVID-19 pandemic. No one really explained to me how serious the coronavirus is. I had to do my own research. And watching the news on TV or reading online articles about COVID-19 is rather disturbing.

I don’t want to think about the coronavirus pandemic anymore. I don’t want to have to stay inside my apartment for what feels like a century.

Living independently on the North Shore, I have had to adapt to manage certain tasks alone, like grocery shopping, budgeting, and doing laundry. I usually go to the gym and work out when I am bored. But unfortunately I do not have that option at the moment.

I’ve been going for walks around the track at Fen Burdett Stadium, which is very close to Carson Graham Secondary.

Physical activity is important to me because it helps me de-stress and also stay in shape.

When I am at home, I like to watch TV, write, bake, and hang out with my cat Maggie. Pets are a great companion for individuals on the spectrum because they provide support and are always there for you when you need a friend.

As a young woman on the autism spectrum, I’m struggling to understand the importance of self-isolation and the effects that the coronavirus may have on those with a disability.

I highly encourage autistic individuals to research COVID-19 online or with their parents to find out more information.

From CAN: ACT-Autism Community Training has a great list of resources for youth & adults with autism to increase their understanding of COVID-19. View here.

Another thing that has really helped me stay calm is watching Netflix and cooking. While it can be hard, you should limit your in-person interactions.

If a friend asks to meet with you in person, you can suggest connecting over the phone or meeting through an online platform instead.

As the rate of coronavirus cases in BC increases, I am becoming even more concerned about the potential of a full lockdown, and the impact it may have on my involvement in Canucks Autism Network (CAN) programs.

Keara in our rock climbing program last year. Read her program testimonial Climbing new heights!

I first joined CAN in 2011 and it has always been a safe place for me to go to where I feel like I belong and fit in. I am very fortunate to be involved with CAN and look forward to future events and programs once the coronavirus passes.

They provide, not only myself, but thousands of other individuals with autism the opportunity to participate in safe, fun, and enjoyable programs — free of judgement or criticism.

I have been staying up-to-date on news from CAN by regularly checking my inbox and their social media platforms, (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), or by reading the monthly CAN newsletter.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the spread of COVID-19 decreases and CAN programs and events are able to resume without further disruption or health precautions.

-Keara Farnan

How CAN is here to help.

We are closely aware of the need for our youth and adult participants, like Keara, to stay connected while respecting the obligations of social distancing.

Our program team is busily working on new ways for our youth and adult participants to stay in touch with CAN and each other!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we announce new initiatives, like virtual meetings, video activities to follow along with at home, a youth and adult newsletter and more. We are excited to stay connected!

Questions? Email CAN’s Navigator of Youth and Adult Services Sarah Armstrong at sarah.armstrong@canucksautism.ca.

Additional resources

Stay up-to-date on CAN program and event announcements at canucksautism.ca/health, our member newsletter and social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIN).

For COVID-19 updates and recommendations from provincial health authorities, please visit: bccdc.ca.

We would also like to remind everyone to take care of their mental health. If you are in a crisis, please reach out to Crisis Services Canada – 1-833-456-4566. For additional resources, please visit: foundrybc.ca

Finally, ACT-Autism Community Training has a great list of resources for youth & adults with autism to increase their understanding of COVID-19. View here.

Additional reading

Keara Farnan: My life with autism”
Keara Farnan: Climbing new heights with CAN
Nate Keller: What I want you to know about autism

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