Rules & Safety

Expulsion from GOV means denying access to individuals to all GOV premises, including event venues and partner hotels.  

This is a last resort option and should only be considered if all other options have been considered and exhausted. See the Restorative & Indigenous Justice Policy below. 

There are numerous factors that might lead to the expulsion of a GOV personnel (which includes chaperones, delegates, contractors, staff, and other personnel). Determining factors include:  

• Actions that cause physical, emotional, and/or spiritual harm. 

• Their continued presence at GOV having the potential to cause harm to others. 

• Risk of reoccurrence. 

• Contrition on behalf of the perpetrator. 

• The wishes of all affected parties (including those harmed and the perpetrator). 

• Advice of law enforcement and/or BCAAFC’s legal counsel. 

• Rules and policies of GOV partners and/or venues. 

• History of misconduct by the individual whose being assessed for expulsion. 

• Breaking more than one rule in the incident (e.g. alcohol involved in a violent incident). 

Written record of any expelled attendees will be included as part of the GOV event summary, including the name of the individual and details about the incident that led to expulsion. Incident Command will direct action should police charges be filed and/or whether the host agency/Nation for the individual should be advised. 

Before considering more punitive and exclusionary measures, such as Expulsion/Removal from GOV premises, Incident Command should consider the viability of other Restorative & Indigenous Justice approaches to incidents involving inappropriate behaviour. This is especially important when engaging with Indigenous Youth delegates.  

Before strict punitive approaches are enacted, Incident Command should consider the following options: 

• Elders Council Circles 

• If all parties agree (e.g. the victim, alleged perpetrator, chaperones, staff, etc.), a Talking Circle can be arranged with the BCAAFC Elders Council. 

• Talking Circles can also be arranged individually for each of the parties involved, if separating those involved is the safer course of action. 

• Cultural Support Healing Processes 

• Involved parties may be brought to the Cultural Support Team to engage in healing cultural practices, either together or individually. 

• PIYC-Led Solutions 

• If a Youth perspective is valuable to the situation, a Talking Circle can be arranged with members of PIYC, with the support of one or more Elders Council members. 

A Critical Incident Room has been designated at the Vancouver Convention Centre (Meeting Room 14), as a place to conduct such practices as deemed appropriate. 

These Restorative Justice practices do not supersede BCAAFC’s legal responsibilities and requirements to involve the appropriate authorities as is necessary. 

For the purposes of this policy, a “communicable illness” is defined as an illness resulting from infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The transmission of these agents can be direct or indirect and varies based on the specific agent.  

Common transmission routes include person-to-person contact, animal-to-person interactions, ingesting contaminated food or water, contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, and exposure to infected soil or environmental sources.  

Attendance Policy 

For the health and safety of GOV’s guests and employees, all personnel must attest that they WILL NOT attend a GOV in-person event if:  

• They have been currently diagnosed with an infectious disease.  

• They are experiencing symptoms of any infectious disease (within 72 hours of the start of GOV) which might include but is not limited to fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath. 

Those with allergy symptoms that present as a respiratory illness are required to wear a mask whenever possible.  

Onset of Symptoms  

If a GOV personnel begins to experience symptoms of a communicable illness, they are required to go into isolation, either in their home (if local) or in their hotel room (if from out of town). They must then inform Incident Command of their symptoms so that they can be provided with proper PPE. They are then to follow protocols related to their symptoms as outlined by the BC Centre for Disease Control. 

No GOV attendees are permitted to use or be in possession of banned substances while attending GOV events. Banned substances are any substance that have the potential to impair, excluding prescription medications. This includes but is not limited to alcohol, cannabis, vaping, and other recreational substances. Cigarettes are not considered a banned substance at GOV. 

Possession of Banned Substances 

Any personnel found in possession of a banned substance will be asked to dispose of the substance and/or leave the event premises. Individuals found in possession will be assessed for their ability to participate in further GOV activities by Incident Command, in conversation with the chaperone, where applicable.   

Delegates Under the Influence of Banned Substances 

In the event that a GOV delegate has been identified as under the influence of a banned substance, or there is the suspicion that they are under the influence at a GOV event, the delegate will be asked leave the event premises.  

The delegate’s chaperone will be asked to escort the intoxicated delegate back to their accommodations and remain with them until they are no longer impaired. The chaperone must monitor the delegate’s health and well-being while they are impaired to make decisions regarding access to health emergency services.  

Delegates determined to be under the influence of a banned substance will be assessed for their ability to participate in further GOV activities by Incident Command, in conversation with the chaperone.  

Non-Delegate GOV Participants Under the Influence of Banned Substances 

In the event that a GOV staff member, chaperone, contractor, or other non-delegate participant has been identified as under the influence of a banned substance, or there is the suspicion that they are under the influence of a banned substance at a GOV event, the individual will be asked leave the event premises.  

Incident Command must be informed immediately to conduct an investigation. If staff, contractors, or other non-delegate participants are deemed to have been impaired, they will be expelled from all GOV premises. If it is a staff member, disciplinary review will take place after GOV as per BCAAFC’s Staff Policy Manual.  

If a chaperone is deemed to have been impaired, an assessment will be undertaken to ensure the safety of the delegates in their care. Once a plan is in place to support the chaperone’s delegates, the chaperone will be expelled from GOV premises. Incident command will then inform chaperone’s host agency/Nation of the incident. 

BCAAFC is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers, guests, delegates, and all other GOV participants from all forms of abuse, whether emotional, physical, or verbal. BCAAFC considers any form of abuse to be unacceptable.  

GOV is a ZERO tolerance environment for abuse, harassment, bullying, and other aggressive and demeaning behaviours. Any staff, chaperones, volunteers, contractors, delegates, and other personnel suspected of abusive behaviour will immediately be removed from all GOV locations until a full investigation can be conducted.  

Emotional Abuse 

Emotional abuse is any abuse that is emotional rather than physical. It can include anything from verbal abuse and constant criticism to intimidation and manipulation. This abuse occurs when someone uses words or actions to try and control another person, to keep someone afraid, isolated, or try to break someone’s self-esteem. It can also look like name-calling, ridiculing, berating, hazing or ignoring the delegate’s needs.  

Physical Abuse 

Physical abuse is when a person purposefully injures or threatens to injure a delegate. This may take the form of slapping, hitting, shaking, kicking, pulling hair or ears, throwing, shoving, grabbing, hazing or excessive exercise as a form of punishment.  

Harassment  

Harassment is a form of discrimination and abuse. It includes any unwanted physical or verbal behaviour that offends, insults, or humiliates an individual. Generally, harassment is a behaviour that persists over time.  

Bullying 

Bullying is behaviour that makes a person feel afraid or uncomfortable. It can be in the form of repeated aggression or happen one time. It can be carried out by one person or a group of people. Bullying can happen in situations where there are real or perceived power imbalances between individuals or groups. It may be a symptom of bias and discrimination. 

GOV staff must keep a watch on the weather before embarking on any activities that include outdoor water areas.  

Swimming 

GOV staff, chaperones, and other personnel must:  

• Ensure that the scheduled lifeguard is on duty before any water activities begin. 

• Pay close attention to delegates during activities in or near water.  

• Watch for rip tides, strong narrow river-like currents pulling away from shore and out to sea that can appear suddenly or intensify unexpectedly.  

• Avoid scheduling swimming activities in 

• (1) areas where boating is heavy, or  

• (2) areas near land or inland lakes or rivers polluted by human or animal waste.  

Delegates participating in water activities must:  

• Never turn their back on the ocean. Sudden big waves can be dangerous.  

• Stay far away from piers and jetties. There are often rip tides along them.  

• Always swim close to shore.  

• Stay off rocky coastal areas. They can be wet, slippery, sharp and crumbly. Waves can break over them, knock delegates down, and pull them out to sea.  

• Never dive or jump in if unsure how deep the water is.  

Boating 

No GOV staff, chaperones, delegates, or other personnel are permitted to operate a watercraft vehicle during GOV, including taking delegates offsite to journey on personal watercraft vehicles during the conference.  

GOV staff, chaperones, and other personnel must:  

• Ensure that the scheduled professional watercraft operator is on duty before departing on any water vehicle. 

• Ensure that the boating activity is specifically booked and sanctioned for GOV, such as for workshop purposes.  

• Know the capacity of the boat (people and weight) and not exceed it.  

• Make sure everyone on the boat always wears a life jacket.  

• Be aware of water hazards in the area.  

• Follow safe practices for all activities on the water. 

• Follow all safety instructions from the watercraft operator and staff. 

• Expect emergencies and be prepared in advance.  

• Understand the risks of boating in cold water or cold weather. 

• The CRC policy applies to the following groups attending GOV: BCAAFC staff, BCAAFC PIYC members, BCAAFC Elder’s Council Members, Chaperones, Youth attendees who are over 18 years of age as of March 1, 2026. 

• All BCAAFC Staff, PIYC members, and Elder’s council members are all required to have current and clear Criminal Record Checks on file with BCAAFC by March 4, 2026 to participate in Gathering Our Voices.  

• All Chaperones attending Gathering Our Voices in a Chaperone capacity are required to have a clear and current Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector check, to participate in Gathering Our Voice.  

• 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 (regardless of age).  

• Chaperones attending in a paid capacity will be required to have their employer confirm that that their host agency retains a copy of a clear and current Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector check by March 4, 2026. 

• Chaperones attending in an unpaid guardian/caregiver capacity will need to complete a Criminal Record Check and submit the verification to BCAAFC by March 4, 2026.  

• All delegates attending GOV who are over 18 as of March 1, 2026 will need to complete a Criminal Record Check to participate in GOV.  

• Those arriving at GOV without providing CRC may be denied entry to the event. 

• No refunds for tickets will be issued for attendees unable to attend because they do not have their CRC. 

BCAAFC recognizes its role as part of the community to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. Our responsibility to report harm is outlined in Provincial legislation under the Child, Family and Community Service Act and Adult Guardianship Act of British Columbia.  

All employees who work with children under the age of 19, and/or vulnerable adults must review this policy and submit a completed sign-off form to Human Resources prior to arriving at Gathering Our Voices. 

What is Confidentiality at Gathering Our Voices? 

Confidentiality means not sharing personal details about a youth’s situation or stories that they have been shared with us, without their permission.  It’s our responsibility to respect and protect the privacy of the youth. 

However, there are some disclosures we cannot keep to ourselves. By law, we are required to break confidentiality and to report any situation where a youth or vulnerable adult may be harming themselves, may be harmed by someone else, or is considering harming someone else. Our duty to report suspected harm overrides our duty to protect the privacy of the youth delegate.  

BCAAFC employees are never breaking confidentiality when they share a potential safety concern with the BCAAFC Leadership Team. On the contrary, we are required to share safety concerns. By sharing internally, BCAAFC can assess safety concerns and determine how to respond in a way that maintains the safety of all parties involved. 

In addition, the BCAAFC Leadership Team is not breaking confidentiality when it shares pertinent information about the safety concern with BCAAFC employees. By sharing pertinent information internally, we can ensure employees have the information they need to respond appropriately and maintain safety. 

GOV is intended for youth delegates between the ages of 14 and 24.

Youth under the age of 13 will not be permitted to attend or participate in GOV under any circumstances.

If a group is travelling with youth under the age of 14, those youth will not be permitted to attend GOV programming. Groups are strongly encouraged to make appropriate alternative arrangements for supervision and care. Chaperones will be required to be in attendance with all registered groups.

Organizations and Nations are responsible for ensuring that all registered delegates meet the age requirements prior to travel and arrival at GOV.

Youth delegates between the ages of 19 and 24 are no longer required to provide a Criminal Record Check for the purpose of attending GOV.
If an organization, Friendship Centre, Nation, or group requires a Criminal Record Check for their own internal policies, this remains at the discretion of that organization.
Chaperones who are attending GOV and who are responsible for youth under the age of 19 must continue to meet Criminal Record Check requirements.Chaperones must be 25 +.
If a chaperone does not have a Criminal Record Check, or if a Criminal Record Check has been applied for but not yet received, and the organization or Nation is taking responsibility for that chaperone, the group must arrive with a formal letter.
The letter must be on official organization or Nation letterhead and must be signed by the Executive Director or the most senior authorized representative.
The letter must clearly state the full name of the chaperone, the reason why a Criminal Record Check is not available at the time of GOV, confirmation that the organization or Nation accepts full responsibility for the conduct of the chaperone, and confirmation that the chaperone is fit to work with youth and within a vulnerable sector.
Chaperones who arrive without a Criminal Record Check and without the required letter will not be permitted to register or participate.

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