GET INVOLVED
Delegates & Chaperones
Delegates & Chaperones
GOV 2026 ticket applications are closed. Thank you to all who applied! Ticket offers have been sent. Please check your email to see if you received tickets.
Prepare to be part of an unforgettable experience!
Every part of GOV – from the activities and entertainment to the workshops – has been purposely selected to make every delegate’s experience at GOV exciting and fun. GOV’s main goal for delegates is to add value to their personal journey and to help them see how they can contribute to the growth of their local communities.
Key Dates
Sept 18
Ticket applications open at 10:00 a.m. PST
Sept 19
Ticket applications close at 11:59 p.m. PST (if capacity does not fill beforehand)
Oct 2
Successful applicants will be offered tickets via email
Nov 4
Chaperone Orientation Session at 10:30 a.m. – noon PST
Nov 5
Chaperone Orientation Session at 1:30 – 3 p.m. PST
Dec 2
Deadline to pay for your group’s GOV tickets
Dec 8
Any unpaid tickets will be released to people on the waitlist
Jan 30
Tickets cancelled by 4:00 p.m. will receive a full refund
Feb 27
Tickets cancelled by 4:00 p.m. will receive a 50% refund
Mar 4
Deadline to submit your CRC to BCAAFC
Mar 11
Tickets cancelled by 4:00 p.m. will receive a 25% refund
Delegates
To attend GOV as a delegate, you must:
Be at least 14 and no older than 24 on the first day of GOV
Self-identify as Indigenous
Attend with a chaperone if you are under 18
Have been assigned a ticket by your “group owner” and completed your registration
Have completed a Criminal Record Check and sent it to BCAAFC by March 4, 2026, if you will be 18 or older as of March 1, 2026
Contribute to a safe and supportive event by following our rules and guidelinesChaperones
A Chaperone is any adult attending GOV who is there to provide care, supervision, and support to a youth(s) for the duration of the event, including travel to and from the event. A Chaperone may be a paid employee/contractor of the host agency, or a guardian/caregiver of a youth. Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older. Chaperones are responsible for the care and safety of all members of their group 24/7 (regardless of age).
While GOV is intended for youth ages 14-24, chaperones are required to purchase a ticket and to register with their delegate(s). Chaperones are encouraged to join in activities when allowed – we want chaperones to have fun too!
Chaperone Orientation Sessions
Chaperones are encouraged to join one of two Orientation Sessions to help them know what to expect for GOV 2026. With GOV being in a different location each year with different activities, we encourage even the most seasoned of chaperones to join us for a session or watch the recording.
Duties of a Chaperone
21+ Years Old
Chaperones must be 21 years or older.
1:5 Chaperone to Youth Ratio
One chaperone is required for every five delegates under the age of 18 years old. Chaperones may not supervise more than one group of five.
Travel Support
Help youth travel to and from the event.
Registration
Ensure that the registration details for their group are complete.
Attend our Training
Chaperone Orientation Sessions take place at the following PST times:
Workshops
Assist youth in selecting and locating workshops and arriving in a timely manner, and ensure youth remain in their workshop until their session is complete.
Emergency Contact
Provide BCAAFC with the emergency information for their group/delegates. BCAAFC will verify contacts to ensure they are correct and can be used if needed.
Presence
Be with youth during all evening activities (opening ceremonies, talent show, dance) as there is a ‘no re-entry’ policy once the performance begins.
Ensure Safety
Ensure your group follows our rules and guidelines. We want everyone to have fun and be safe!
Role Model
All chaperones must be a positive role model and set positive examples for all youth.
Extra Support
Provide any additional support to their delegates during the event.
Curfew
We strongly encourage chaperones ensure delegates return to their accommodations by 11:30 p.m for their safety and a fun event for all.
Submit a CRC-VSC
All Chaperones attending Gathering Our Voices in a chaperone capacity are required to have a clear and current Criminal Record Check with the Vulnerable Sector check, to participate in Gathering Our Voices.
How to Register and Purchase Tickets
1
Create an account (we recommend doing this prior to October 30)
2
On October 30, log into your account a few minutes before 10:00AM PDT
3
Select your tickets
4
Submit payment for tickets by December 13, 2023
5
Submit criminal record checks and delegate and chaperone registration information, by February 2, 2024 and March 5, 2024 respectively
Tickets
We are continuing our equitable ticket application process for GOV 2026 to help more youth attend GOV at least once.
Tickets are $300 each or buy five, get one free.
Chaperones need to fill out an application to request tickets (you can request up to 12, including chaperone tickets). Please note that requesting a ticket does not guarantee that you will receive one.
Applications open in the GOV app on September 18, 2025 at 10 a.m. PST and will close at 11:59 p.m. on September 19, 2025 or when the application capacity fills (whichever comes first).
Extra tickets will not be available during the GOV conference as we anticipate selling out again!
Ticket Application Process
✅ Decide who will be the “group owner” in the app. The group owner should be a chaperone. In cases of an all-adult (18+) group, the “group owner” can be an adult delegate.
✅ The group owner needs to either create an account in the GOV app or log in to their account and ensure their information is up to date. We recommend doing this before applications open to save valuable time.
✅ The group owner may submit a ticket application requesting up to 12 tickets starting at 10:00 a.m. PST on Sept. 18, 2025.
✅ We will sort applications by region to ensure delegates from all regions are represented. From there, groups who were waitlisted in 2025 or who are bringing majority of youth in care or with disabilities will be given priority. Tickets will be reviewed according to the time you submitted your application (first-come first-serve).
✅ The group owner should check their email associated with their GOV account on Oct. 2, 2025 (including spam folder) to see if they have been offered GOV tickets. This email will include instructions on how to pay for tickets. Please note that we will not send an email to those who were not offered tickets.
✅If you were offered tickets, claim them by paying for them by December 2, 2025.
✅If you were not offered tickets, please check your emails again on December 8, 2025 to see if you were offered tickets that weren’t claimed.
✅Once you’ve been offered tickets, the group owner will be able to invite chaperones and delegates to join their group in the app and register for GOV. Please do not create a GOV account for each group member.
Please note that our GOV team is mighty but small! For this reason, we are not able to respond to inquiries about why your application was rejected.
Payment Policy
- Registration fees are set at $300 per person (delegate or chaperone). For every five tickets purchased, one ticket is complimentary.
- Groups may request up to 12 tickets in total.
- Tickets are non-transferrable (including to other groups).
- For groups who were offered tickets on October 2, 2025, full payment must be received by BCAAFC no later than Dec 2, 2025 or tickets will be cancelled and offered to the next in line on Dec. 8, 2025.
- To request a cancellation of tickets and a refund, complete the “GOV Ticket Cancellation Form” (link coming soon).
- No refunds will be issued for no shows or attendees 18+ without a clear and current CRC.
- Refunds will be made on paid tickets only; in the event that the cancelled tickets include complimentary tickets (usually ticket 6 or 12), we will not refund those tickets.
- Refunds will be paid to the original payment method (see below for our cancellation policy and acceptable payment methods). Processing time will be 30-60 days.
Acceptable Payment Methods
- Credit Card: Credit card payments must be done through Square. You will receive an email directly from Square with the link to pay (and follow-up emails until the total is paid). A receipt will be emailed to you directly from Square.
- Electronic: Electronic payment can be made on a case by case basis. Please send your request to [email protected] along with your group name and invoice number to coordinate.
- Cheque: If paying by cheque, a receipt will be issued shortly after your cheque arrives at the BCAAFC office to your e-mail. Please:
- notify [email protected] that payment will be made by cheque and include your invoice number and group name.
- mail your cheque to 551 Chatham Street, Victoria BC V8T 1E1.
- make your check out to BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres or BCAAFC.
- note on the cheque stub that this is a payment for GOV 2026 and include your invoice number and group name.
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellations made by 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 30, 2026 will receive a full refund.
- Cancellations made by 4:00 p.m. on Feb. 27, 2026 will receive a 50% refund.
- Cancellations made by 4:00 p.m. on March 11, 2026 will receive a 25% refund.
- No refunds will be issued after March 11, 2026.
- Refunds will be paid to the original payment method. Processing time will be 30-60 days.
FAQs
If you don’t plan to use all the tickets that were offered to you, please contact [email protected]. Please provide your invoice number and the name of your group as well as the number of tickets you wish to remove.
Unfortunately, Square doesn’t allow us to line up our deadlines. The dates on our website and in our newsletter, social media, etc. are all accurate. Please plan around those and ignore the payment deadline on the invoice.