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“When COVID hit, we were heading into our busiest time of the year, all the men’s hockey parties were about to come up at the end of March, early April – we lost all of them,” said Kanata Sports Club treasurer Jamie Duckett. “We normally operate two darts leagues, they haven’t started yet, they could start in January – reduced. We’ve lost a lot of revenue, but we’re trying our best to hang in. We want to survive until next fall. And when that comes, we’re hoping things are back to normal.”

The Ottawa Nepean Canadians Sports Club (1125 Cobden Rd.), which has raised more than $3 million over the years, still comes up with $50,000-$60,000 per year to help youth sports. Their hours have also changed – during the week, it’s basically 11 a.m.-7 p.m., with last call Fridays at 11:59 p.m.

“From March 17 until July 18, there was zero money coming in because the doors were closed,” said Ottawa Nepean Canadians Sports Club treasurer Steve Boston. “We started a campaign and named it Keep the Lights On. We reached out to membership. And we ran a Go Fund Me, we were just a little shy of $15,000 – that helped get us through the period before we could get into the government subsidies.”

With a commercial rent program helping out with 50 per cent of their rent and their landlord giving them a 25 per cent break, the Ottawa Nepean Canadians club was fortunate.  It was ironic they closed down March 17 – it was the same date, 37 years earlier, the first beer was served at the club. When the sports club re-opened, it took extra precautions to ensure the safety of its membership, many of them seniors. Allowed to have a bit less than 100 people in during “normal times,” the capacity is now 32. The floor plan has been changed, with a pool table covered and used as a table.