I hope everybody had an enjoyable Easter, despite the limitations we are still experiencing.

Thank goodness we have plenty of CURLING, tennis, hockey, basketball, baseball and golf on TV, not to mention the Cooking and DIY channels, to help fill all the idle time caused by these $&@#!&* lockdowns.

Speaking of curling, for anyone who hasn't found it yet, here are the remaining TV times and networks for the World Men's Curling Championship currently underway in the Calgary bubble.

Shortly after the end of the Men's Worlds, on April 15 to be exact, the winning ticket will be drawn for second CurlON 50-50 jackpot. The winner's share isn't likely to be as high as the first draw which saw the winner receiving $72,790, but with fewer tickets sold, that means your odds of winning are better, assuming you enter of course. You can't win if you don't buy a ticket, and with the prize likely to get up close to at least $30K, that's still a nice chunk of cheese. So, don't miss out on your chance at winning that jackpot while also helping support youth curling.

Here's a link to the Tam specific sales site. So, during the 5th end break of the next game, click this link and buy your winning tickets.

Tam Heather SALES LINK: https://curlonraffle.5050central.com/?olc=TAM

Thanks to everyone who has already purchased and GOOD LUCK.

Cheers,
Doug

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the sudden passing of John Bueckert on Sunday March 14.

John and his wife Annabelle were longtime members at Tam Heather before retiring and moving to Whitby. Besides being a very avid curler, John was President of Tam in 1980 and after retiring, started a second career as the Club's General Manager until April 1996. Even after leaving Tam, John frequently made return appearances as he was an active spieler.

Our condolence to his wife, Annabelle, and the rest of John’s family.

Please click HERE for more details

So, what would you like first ... the good news or the bad news?

The BAD news is that the winner of the $72,790 jackpot in the first CurlON 50-50 lottery was not from Tam Heather. It was won by a couple from the Guelph Curling Club. Here is a link to the results from the CurlOn website http://curl-on.ca/5050-winners/

The GOOD news is that, Tam members spent a total of $5,200 on losing tickets (the 4 highest of all the Clubs in Ontario), meaning $2,080 was raised for Tam youth programming.

The next piece of GOOD news is that, as soon as the first lottery ended, another one began and the jackpot is already up to $11,770 after just one week. This next jackpot will be awarded on April 15 with prizes of $500 each week leading up to the final draw. So, don't miss out on your chance at this jackpot while continuing to support youth curling. You didn't win the last one, so you are sure to do better this time. And again, don't forget who told you about this when you do win.

Here's that link to the Tam specific sales site.

Tam Heather SALES LINK: https://curlonraffle.5050central.com/?olc=TAM

Thanks to everyone who has already purchased and GOOD LUCK.

March 14 is the date of the 2021 Brier final. It's also your last chance to purchase tickets for the CurlON 50-50 draw. With 3 days left to go, the winner's share is just shy of $60,000. Don't miss out on your chance at winning that jackpot while also helping support youth curling.

Here's a link to the Tam specific sales site. So, during the 5th end break of the next Brier game, click this link and buy your winning tickets.

Tam Heather SALES LINK: https://curlonraffle.5050central.com/?olc=TAM

Thanks to everyone who has already purchased and GOOD LUCK.

PLACE YOUR ORDER STARTING - Mon. March 1st UNTIL Sun. March 14th 2021

Email selection & quantities directly to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Signature Baked Beef & Chicken Pot Pies (single serving) $7.00 each

(reheat thawed @ 325 degrees for 45 mins.)

Beef Lasagna ½ pan - $20

(reheat thawed @ 350 degrees for 45 mins)

(Items come frozen so they can be reheated & served whenever you like).

NOTE:  When your order is ready an email will be sent to notify you of date for pick up at Tam Heather.

Payment Options: CASH upon pick up or E-TRANSFER prior to pick up to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

OF THE TAM HEATHER KITCHEN

Based on recommendations from City of Toronto officials, the Province announced today that Toronto will be moving to the Grey Zone on Monday. Although this is an improvement on the current stay-at-home order, this means that the tennis courts at Tam must remain closed for at least another two weeks. We had hoped that Toronto might be allowed to move to the Red Zone, similar to adjoining Durham and York regions, which would have allowed us to reopen with a limit of 10 players on the courts at any one time. Toronto needs to reach the Orange Zone in order that we be able to have all 4 courts available to members for doubles play.

With 8 days still left to purchase tickets for the CurlON 50-50 draw, the winner's share is already up over $44,000. At this rate the jackpot will likely exceed $50K. Don't miss out on your chance at winning that jackpot while also helping support youth curling.

Here's a link to the Tam specific sales site. So, during the 5th end break of the next Brier game, click this link and buy your winning tickets.

Tam Heather SALES LINK: https://curlonraffle.5050central.com/?olc=TAM

Thanks to everyone who has already purchased and GOOD LUCK.

ATTENTION TAM HEATHER MEMBERS

UPON YOUR REQUEST

Damiano & Neil will be offering their delicious

Signature Baked Beef & Chicken Pot Pies (single serving) $7.00 each

(reheat thawed @ 325 degrees for 45 mins.)

Beef Lasagna ½ pan - $20

(reheat thawed @ 350 degrees for 45 mins)

(Items come frozen so they can be reheated & served whenever you like).

PLACE YOUR ORDER STARTING   -   Mon. March 1st   UNTIL    Fri. March 12th 2021

Email selection & quantities directly to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NOTE:  When your order is ready an email will be sent to notify you of date for pick up at Tam Heather.

Payment Options: CASH upon pick up or E-TRANSFER prior to pick up to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

OF THE TAM HEATHER KITCHEN

With the return of live curling to TV, CurlON has launched the Ontario online 50-50 program with proceeds going directly to participating member clubs youth programming.

Tam Heather, together with other registered member clubs in Ontario are selling online 50-50 tickets in support of youth programming at their clubs. All sales are completed online in partnership with our provider “Ascend Fundraising Solutions” and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO - Licence # 1202000).

“Currently over 50 clubs are in the launch with all ticket sales being used to directly support their youth programming” says Stephen Chenier, Executive Director of CurlON. “Our goal is to help clubs by generating revenue from a unique source during these hard operating times. The sport of curling has long supported youth curling with subsidized rates, additional resources and training. Clubs now have a mechanism to offset some of these program expenses and continue the great tradition of developing the future stars of the game while encouraging the youth to participate in a safe sport environment.”

You should have received an email Wednesday afternoon from CurlON with your “QR” code. I apologize for the curling theme of the QR email, but this app was provided by the Ontario Curling Association for use by its member clubs; hence the curling references. But it will serve the same purpose for any sport or facility where pre-screening is required.

If you are receiving this email, but did not receive a “QR” email from CurlON, please check your SPAM folder first in case it ended up there. If you still can’t find it, please let me know by calling me at 416-284-9251 (ext 5) or emailing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will investigate its absence further.

Cheers,
Doug

Since Monday Nov 23, we’ve been counting down each day of each 28 day lockdown in hopes of being allowed to reopen the courts. With the COVID numbers steadily declining and most other Ontario Regions being allowed to exit the Lockdown, there were promising signs that we could be looking at reopening as soon as the 22nd. But today’s comments by Premier Ford echoed those by Mayor Tory yesterday; that if allowed to exit the Lockdown, Toronto would only transition to the Grey Zone, and in the Grey Zone sport and recreation facilities must remain closed. I can’t believe when they built Tam almost 48 years ago, that they didn’t have the foresight to think that they should be building it on the other side of the Rouge Valley. If they had, we’d be reopening our courts today.

Back before Christmas, I mentioned in an email that, in compliance with the pre-existing tracing requirements as well as the new emphasis on pre-screening, we have installed a touchless contact tracing app and that every member will receive an email with their “QR” code. We were holding off on sending these out until we were sure about reopening. But we’re not going to wait any longer. So you should receive an email tomorrow (if all goes as planned) with your personal “QR” code. Once you receive it, you will need to decide how to best ensure you have it with you every time you come to play. If you always bring your phone with you into the dome, then scanning it from your phone will work. But if you are not in the habit of always bringing your phone with you into the dome, then you should print off a paper copy of the “QR” code and put it in your bag to bring with you when you play. Having this “QR” code to bring with you to scan when you enter will be as important as remembering to bring your racquet.

In my last email, I also promised an update with respect to the handling of membership refunds. As the members have now missed out on more than 25% of the season, a pro-rated refund is now owed to members. At their last meeting, the Board approved not immediately issuing refunds. Rather, we will wait to see when we are allowed to reopen. When that happens, the office will calculate what portion of the season was missed and credit members’ accounts accordingly. This will allow members to use this credit to offset any court fees they incur once they resume play. If, at the end of the season, a member’s account was still in a credit position, the member will have the choice of receiving a refund or applying the credit towards next season’s membership.

For now, let’s all keep our fingers crossed, continue to stay in form by watching the Aussie Open, practice our tennis strokes playing Wii Tennis on our Nintendo, and look forward to soon being able to return to playing for real. Red Zone here we come!!!

Cheers,
Doug

Sad news.

We regret to announce the passing of Charlie Boyle late last year. He and his wife Annette have been long time members of the Senior Mixed Curling League at Tam.

Further details can be found here.

Please keep Charlie and Annette in your thoughts and prayers.

We’ve been counting down each day of the 28 day lockdown in hopes of welcoming everyone back to playing again on the 21st. But today’s announcement by the Premier that lockdowns are likely to be extended does not give me much cause for optimism.

We’ve been doing all we can though to get ready for tennis to retrun.

To ensure we are in compliance with the pre-existing tracing requirements as well as the new emphasis on pre-screening we have installed a touchless contact tracing app. Every member will receive an email with their “QR” code. This is a sort of barcode that is linked to the information (first and last name, gender, email address, and phone number) that Toronto Health would ask the Club to provide in the event someone tested positive for COVID and had been playing at the same time as you. You will be required to have this QR code available on your phone or have a printed copy of the code (sort of like a boarding pass) that you can scan each time you enter the dome. Prior to scanning your QR code on the tablet that is located just to the right of the revolving door, you will be asked the following questions:

COVID-19 SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE

1.  Do you have any of the following new or worsening symptoms or signs? (Symptoms should not be chronic or related to other known causes or conditions).
   • Fever or chills
   • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
   • Cough
   • Sore throat, trouble swallowing
   • Runny nose/stuffy nose or nasal congestion
   • Decrease or loss of smell or taste
   • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
   • Not feeling well, extreme tiredness, sore muscles
2. Have you travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
3. Have you had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19?

IF you have answered NO to all of the above questions you have passed the COVID-19 screening and may scan in and enter the facility.

IF you have answered YES to any of the above questions, you have NOT passed the COVID-19 screening and are advised to NOT enter the dome and should go home to self-isolate immediately and contact your health provider or Telehealth Ontario (1-866-797-0000) to find out if you need a COVID-19 test.

Additional pulleys have been added to the separating nets in order that we be able to open them from the ends rather than the middle when vacuuming the courts. This will allow us to more completely secure the middle of the divider nets in an effort to ensure all movement between courts is only along the outside walls.

A good amount of time was also spent searching out the source of any water leaks. We found a few. Only time will tell if we found them all.

We even advised Santa that all we want for Christmas this year is for COVID to go away in order that we start playing tennis again.

So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the lockdown extension will be minimal and Toronto will be allowed to return to at least the Red Zone soon.

Right after the announcement of the 28 day lockdown announced back on November 23, I received a couple of inquiries about membership refunds. I directed both to our refund policy as well as the COVID FAQ’s for Tennis on the website where it states that “…A pro-rated refund policy will apply if tennis play is cancelled during the season and less than 75% of the season is played.” The current 28 days is not 25% of the season. If we get shutdown for another 28 days (perish the thought), that would exceed the 25%. BUT, we would not immediately start issuing refunds. How exactly we would handle it needs to be discussed with the Board. I plan to recommend waiting to see when/if we are allowed to reopen. When that happens, we can calculate what portion of the season was missed and credit members’ accounts accordingly. This would allow members to use this credit to offset any court fees they would incur once they resume play. If, at the end of the season, a member’s account was still in a credit position, the member would have the choice of receiving a refund or applying the credit towards next season’s membership.

That’s all the news for now. In closing, on behalf of all the staff, Hanadi, Janet, Luc, Lor, Jason and myself, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a “Happier” New Year (good riddance 2020).

Cheers,
Doug

Thank you to All Club Members for their Generous Support & Patronage

Neil and I appreciate and thank everyone for the tremendous response in the orders received last week from Tam Club Members.

When your order is ready for curbside pick up @ Tam Heather you will receive an email from Damiano with dates and times for pick up.

Note Payment Options: Cash or e-transfer upon picking up order.

Damiano & Neil