COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
***UPDATE January 1st 2023***
Store hours and in-store playspace use is largely back to normal. The capacity limit for events is capped at 24 people. Masks are optional and passive symptom screening is recommended (don’t come in if you are sick!).
***UPDATE March 1st 2022***
Covid-19 vaccine passports are no longer required for use of in-store playspace and events. The other covid strictures such as mask usage and passive symptom screening remain in effect. We also reserve the right to limit capacity when appropriate.
***UPDATE February 17th 2022***
Capacity limits for in-store events have been greatly increased as of Thursday the 17th of February. The vaccine passport will remain in effect until March 1st so the only change for us is the capacity. All other covid policy within the store remains the same for now.
***UPDATE January 20th 2022***
With the government update today, event spaces are allowed to reopen January 31st! This means we can open our tables up for play again. We are still working with 50% capacity so during open hours there will be 4 seats available for play and after hours there will be 6. We will be restarting our Commander and Modern tournaments as well as our monthly board game night. Stay tuned for updates on when you can reserve seating for events!
***UPDATE January 3rd 2022***
Once again as of Wednesday, January 5th we can no longer support in-store gaming and events. This is expected to last until at least January 26th but please stay alert for any potential changes.
We are still open for business and the store’s capacity remains unchanged at 50%
***UPDATE December 19th 2021***
As of December 19th 2021, the capacity inside the store has been reduced to 50%. This means we can have a total of 6 patrons in the store at one time. We will have one table with 4 seats available for casual gaming throughout the day (allowing space for 2 shoppers) and our events after hours will be reduced to 6 players total.
We also must once again ban drinking and eating within the store as per the government's update.
This also changes how we will run our board game night tomorrow (December 20th). Instead of starting at 6 PM, we will run board game night all the way from 10AM to 9PM to allow everyone an opportunity to play. We can have 4 players at any time between 10AM and 6PM and then after 6PM we can have 6 players. Please let us know ahead of time when you plan on attending to ensure we don't reach capacity and have to turn people away. The event has a $3 entry fee, proof of vaccination is required and mass must be worn inside the store at all times.
We will once again make our table booking schedule available on our website if you wish to book a time slot for casual games. As always, thank you for your patience and cooperation.
***UPDATE October 9th 2021***
With the announcement from the government today about increasing the capacity of event spaces to 100%, we will be increasing the participant capacity of our Magic events on Tuesday and Friday nights to 12 participants, beginning Tuesday October 12th. Table space during shopping hours (Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm) will still be restricted to 8 to allow space for shoppers. Physical distancing must still be practiced even at 100% occupancy, which is why we are capping the total number of occupants to 12 at any one time (we did all the math to make sure we executed this properly!). All of the regular health and prevention measures remain in place (masks must be worn, frequent hand washing, contact tracing and vaccine passports for in-store play). Thank you all so much for being patient and understanding. This is a slow process and we know we have asked a lot by enforcing these strictures, but little by little we are getting back to normal. Thank you for sticking with us :)
***Update September 9th 2021***
As of September 22nd 2021, we will require proof of second Covid 19 vaccination for in-store play. We will be required to check this for anyone wanting to play at our tables, but NOT for shopping in the retail portion of the store. The government will be releasing official vaccine passports in October some time but for now, you can print a copy of your vaccine receipt here:
https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/
You must be 2 weeks past your second vaccination to be approved for in-store play!
We will also continue to collect information for contact tracing purposes. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and patience .
***Update June 28th 2021***
With the province entering Stage 2, we are allowed to have 5 people indoors to play games! Masks and frequent hand washing are of course, still mandatory. Beginning June 30th we will have ONE table set up with a MAXIMUM of 5 people to come play Magic, D&D or board games. We will booking 2 hour time slots for the table, cleaning thoroughly between groups and taking contact information from every person who plays at the table for contact tracing purposes. An updated version of table schedule will be available to view on our website at any time. If you would like to book the table for yourself and some friends (there can be less than 5 players, just not more), fill out a request form on our website stating the time you wish to book, the number of people that will be playing and the activity you wish to partake in. You can also call the store (519)416-1230 or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram to book the table. You may also notice the schedule goes until 6pm next week and that's because we will be extending our hours very soon! We will post more about that in the very near future. Visit the “TABLE BOOKING” tab above to book a time slot today!
We are so so SO excited to finally be entering this phase! We look forward to seeing all your faces again and hearing the space filled with the familiar sounds of shuffling cards and rolling dice <3
***Note: if you are coming to play our in-store demo board games, the selection may be limited. Games that have been played by table must go through a decontamination process before they are available to be played by another table***
***Update June 11th 2021***
The Ontario government has announced that non-essential retail may open at reduced capacity (15%) as of Friday, June 11th!
Our store will be open for browsing and in-store purchases starting Friday. Here's a couple things to keep in mind before you arrive:
Limit of 4 customers in the store at any one time. Please continue to wear a mask and keep your distance from others while shopping.
We can still take orders through the website and over the phone if you would prefer a contactless front-door pickup option.
Please limit your stay to 15 minutes or so to reduce waiting time and to give everyone a chance to come in.
Thanks very much for your patience these last months and we hope to see you soon!
***Update April 17th 2021***
After closing up for the Health Unit's recommended 48 hours, we are once again open for curbside pickup! However, in light of recent updates, we strongly encourage you to coordinate your order pickups with essential trips out (groceries, medication, appointments, etc.). We have lots of space in the store for your order to hang out until you're able to come pick it up, no rush. As usual, we will always keep up to date with regulations, will adapt accordingly and will update you of any changes. Thank you for supporting us through this.
***UPDATE April 14th 2021***
In light of new information released by the Grey Bruce Health Unit, we are HALTING ALL pickups for 48 hours (until Saturday April 17th). Prerelease orders for Strixhaven and all other orders can be picked up on Saturday. We apologize for the inconvenience.
***UPDATE April 7th 2021***
As per the provincial government’s State of Emergency, Stay at Home order and the province wide shut down, the store will not be open for in person shopping until further notice. Our online store is available to order products for pickup 10am - 4pm Monday - Saturday.
Please place orders for pickup through our online store. Your order will be available for pick up the next available pick up day. You will receive one email to confirm when your order is placed and one email once the order is ready to be picked up at the store. Please knock when you have arrived and please wear your mask.
If you do not have an available credit card but would like to order for pickup, please call the store during business hours to place your order (519)416-1230
For special requests of products we do not currently have in stock, Magic the Gathering singles lists and any other questions please submit a form on the Request Form portion of our website.
Thank you all for your continued support. We’ll see you all on the other side of this.
***UPDATE April 1st 2021***
With Ontario’s announcement of the province-wide emergency brake, as of Saturday April 3rd we will have some additional safety measures in place. Most of this will be increased precautions involving high-touch surfaces; very little will change from the point of view of you, the visitor. But as a reminder here are the main things to keep in mind:
- Limit of 4 customers in the store at any time. Please keep your visit to 15 minutes or so to give others a chance to shop. Feel free to browse the online store or call in for questions and requests to reduce contact if you wish.
- We are still holding off on hosting any events and in-store play.
- Please wear a mask while inside the store. Give others ample space while browsing: stay at least 6ft away from each other.
***UPDATE February 13th 2021***
With the end of the stay-at-home order we will be back open in a semi-regular sense starting on Tuesday, February 16th. The hours will be 10am-4pm Mon-Sat. As a quick reminder; the health and safety measures pertaining to our Yellow zone in Grey and Bruce are still in effect:
- We are still holding off on any events and in-store play.
- Please wear a mask while inside the store. Give others ample space while browsing.
- Limit of 4 customers in the store at any time. Please keep your visit to 20 minutes or so to give others a chance to shop.
- Feel free to call in / email your order in advance to reduce contact if you wish.
***UPDATE January 13th 2021***
The Ontario State of Emergency announced for January 14th onwards requires additional changes to how things will work:
To cut down on unnecessary travel we are no longer offering free local delivery.
We can no longer accept cash or curbside payments at this time. Your order must be placed through the online store or arranged via e-transfer in advance.
We are still open for curbside pickup each Wednesday and Saturday from 10am-4pm. Please bring a receipt ready to display when you make the pickup. Please wear a mask and try to reduce contact as much as possible.
***UPDATE January 5th 2021***
Our online store is now LIVE! You can now browse our entire selection from the comfort and safety of your home! We will be offering curbside pickup on Wednesdays and Saturdays for online orders (we will NOT be offering shipping services at this time). We will keep the Request Form section of the website active for MTG singles requests and for you to send in requests for games we don’t have in stock but can maybe order in. Click on the ONLINE STORE tab or hit the SEARCH tab to find the items you’re looking for!
***UPDATE December 28th 2020****
The Ontario Covid lockdown has affected the way we can do business for the first part of 2021. We are currently not allowed to open our doors to the public but we are offering curbside pickup and local deliveries on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am-4pm starting on December 30th, 2020. If you would like to make a purchase please give us a call at the store Wednesday or Saturday or just drop us a note in the REQUEST FORM tab. We hope to open back up to regular business practices as soon as we are able.
***UPDATE December 21st 2020****
As per direction by the Ontario government, the store will be CLOSED as of 2pm December 24th. We will begin to offer curbside pickup and delivery on select days after December 28th and updates about a live online store will come shortly. In the meantime, please see our Request Forms to place orders for pickup or delivery after the 28th. Thank you very much for your continued patience and support!
***UPDATE September 26th 2020***
With the completion of the Zendikar Rising Prerelease, we're sure there are lots of questions floating around out there about future events at the store. We said we would test the waters with the prerelease and we've come to the decision to press PAUSE on ALL in store tabletop gaming again. This includes Magic, D&D and board games and we have packed up the tables again. With the rise in cases in Ontario (now locally too) and tightening of restrictions again, we feel it is more safe to sit back and wait until the waters calm. Our community's safety has always been and will continue to be our top priority. This is just temporary and we will continue to monitor the situation, updating you all along the way. We would like to thank everyone who came out to the prerelease and thank ALL OF YOU for your continued patience and support. We will keep in touch <3
***UPDATE September 11th 2020***
With much consideration and working with Public Health, we have decided to slowly open up to doing some small events in the store. There are many, many risks and additional strictures to consider so if you have an interest in a particular event please check out the events page for the specific event or inquire at the store. Here are the basics that apply to ALL events:
Currently we will only host events that do not require shared handling of game pieces; essentially this means just some card tournament events and the occasional D&D group. Apologies to all board game enthusiasts. :(
No event will ever have more than 8 participants. Players will be spaced out as much as possible.
A face mask or proper face covering must be used during any event inside the store.
Please eat or drink any snacks and refreshments outside the store. Do not remove your face mask while inside.
***UPDATE July 14th 2020***
TLDR: Masks are mandatory in store starting FRIDAY JULY 17th and there is still NO gaming in store for now.
Long version: Alright, I know we have been waiting for Phase Three to play in store again but with the government's announcement yesterday, there is a bit of uncertainty whether we can have a couple tables out for play. We have submitted a request to public health to clarify if we are allowed a table or two for games. Until we hear back confirmation there is still NO IN STORE GAMING. We will absolutely keep you all informed as soon as we know more. We always have your health and safety first in our minds and will continue to make any steps forward cautious ones.
Beginning FRIDAY JULY 17th masks will be mandatory inside the store. We strongly encourage you to bring your own mask but we will have disposable free ones available (as long as supply lasts) and homemade cloth masks for purchase.
We want to thank you all for your patience and understanding through this. We know you're all eager to get back to playing (as are we!) but keeping our community safe is the number one priority.
We are now back open for business! There are a few health guidelines and revisions to our hours of operation. The situation is ever-changing so please check here and on our Facebook page for updates.
HOURS:
Wednesday 10am-4pm
Thursday 10am-4pm
Friday 10am-4pm
Saturday 10am-4pm
(Our first day back open will be WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH)
HEALTH & SAFETY RULES:
-Limit of 3 customers in the store at one time.
-Please limit your shopping time to 15-20 minutes.
-There will be NO in store gaming.
-We can not offer our bathroom for public use.
-We will be wearing cloth masks and we strongly encourage our customers to do the same while in the store.
-We will NOT be offering the MTG Singles to browse through, however you can still send us a list via Facebook, email or by calling the store and we will compile the order for you.
-We are still offering and encourage curbside pick-up. Please place orders online by following the link here:
http://www.sceniccitygameemporium.com/request-form
-We will no longer be offering delivery.
-As we both live in separate households, we will not be in the store at the same time and will alternate days.