Program Policies

Birthday packages are based on a maximum capacity of 30 people. This includes:

• the birthday child and host family,
• supervisory parents at mandatory 1:6 ratio,
• youth,
• toddlers, and
• infants.

This capacity limit is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for you, your party guests, staff, volunteers and other visitors.

Groups that arrive with numbers that exceed established capacities on the day of their booking are subject to change or cancellation of program activities without refund and/or financial penalties.

Group bookings that include a guided staff activity are based on a maximum capacity of participants. This includes all youth, toddlers, infants and supervisory adults at a mandatory 1:6 ratio.

• Guided Fish Feeding and classroom packages: maximum 30 people (i.e 26 youth and 4 adult supervisors)
• Guided Fish Hatchery Tour: maximum 20 people (i.e. 17 youth and 3 adult supervisors)

Capacity limits are in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable learning experience for your group, staff, volunteers and other visitors.

Groups that arrive with numbers that exceed established capacities on the day of their booking are subject to change or cancellation of program activities without refund and/or financial penalties. Special group rates or discounts are not available if group numbers exceed planned or pre-paid capacities upon arrival.

School programs are based on a maximum capacity of up to 31 bodies, including all students, supervisory parents at required mandatory ratios, and teachers and teaching aids. For different age groups, capacities are:

• Preschool and Kindergarten: Maximum 24 students, 6 adults and one teacher
• Grade 1-6: Maximum 26 students, 4 adults and one teacher
• Grade 7+: Maximum 28 students, 3 adults and one teacher

Combining smaller classes to make one larger group is not permitted. Should your class sizes exceed these capacities, please connect with us to discuss options for booking.
Capacity limits are in place to ensure a safe and productive learning experience for your class, staff, volunteers and other visitors.

Groups that arrive with numbers that exceed established capacities on the day of their booking are subject to change or cancellation of program activities without refund and/or financial penalties.

• Ages 4 and under: 1 adult for every 4 children
• Ages 5-11: 1 adult for every 6 youth
• Ages 12-17: 1 adult for every 8 youth

Additional adult supervisors are permitted as long as the total number of individuals in your group do not exceed the program capacity limits. Groups exceeding their maximum capacity must book an additional program. Please contact us to discuss prior to your booking date as capacity to add-on programs is subject to availability and resources.

Adult leaders and chaperones are expected to actively support participants in following the three respects of Bow Habitat Station:

• Respect Yourself
• Respect Each Other
• Respect the Space

This includes following the rules and instructions of staff, actively engaging participants in program activities and maintaining a respectful atmosphere inside the building for all visitors to have an enjoyable experience.

Groups unable to support the three respects will have program activities cancelled without refund and may be asked to wait in their classroom space or leave the facility prior to their planned departure time.

To support the safety and experience of all visitors, booking of a classroom space is required for all groups with 25+ youth in attendance. Please contact us to discuss options.

Payment is required within 7 days of their invoice date to secure the booking.

Programs booked within 7 days of their tentative booking date require payment within 48 hours to secure the booking.

Payment is required within 30 days of your invoice date.

• Oct-Dec Programs: Invoices will be sent within 14 days of booking your program.
• Jan-Jun Programs: Invoices will be sent by October 31.

Programs booked within 30 days of their tentative program date will require payment within 7 days to secure the booking.

Programs can be paid by:

• Credit cards online through approved secure servers, or
• Cheque made out to “GoA, EPA, Bow Habitat Station” and mailed to:
  1440 17A Street SE, Calgary, AB T2G 4T9

Cancellations received at least 30 days in advance of their booking date are eligible for a refund less a $75 cancellation fee. Cancellations received 14-29 days in advance are eligible for a refund less a $150 cancellation fee.

No refunds are available for cancellations made within 14 calendar days of their program date.

No refunds are available for a reduced number of participants or programs on the day of their visit.

Cancellations received at least 60 days in advance of their booking date are eligible for a refund less a $75 cancellation fee per class. Cancellations received 30-59 days in advance are eligible for a refund less a $150 cancellation fee per class.

No refunds are available for cancellations made within 30 calendar days of their program date.

No refunds are available for a reduced number of participants or programs on the day of their visit.

Bow Habitat Station reserves the right to cancel or change program activities for groups that arrive in clothing that present a safety concern for the weather and/or trail conditions.
In the case of inclement weather, outdoor components of programs will be moved indoors with activities adjusted to accommodate similar learning objectives. Bow Habitat Station reserves the right to change program activities when the following weather warnings are issued by Environment Canada:

• Air Health Quality Index levels exceeding level 6 (High or Very High health risk)
• Extreme cold (temperatures of -25 degrees with windchill or lower)
• Extreme heat (temperatures of 30 degrees or higher)
• Hail warning
• Heavy rain
• Thunderstorm warning or thunder is heard
• Tornado warning
• Wind gusts exceeding 50km/h

In the rare case of a cancellation and inability to offer alternate indoor activities, a refund of 50% will be provided if less than 50% of the entire program is completed. If more than 50% of the outdoor component was completed prior to cancellation, no refunds will be provided.