Why Ontario university, college athletes aren't 'elite' is a question province won't answer

This is a column by Shireen Ahmed, who writes opinion for CBC Sports. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

As the next wave of COVID-19 and its variants continues to bombard society, navigation of normalcy continues to be a challenge.

In the latest protocols set out by the Ontario government, we have lost access to in-person dining, gatherings of more than five people, and gyms are closed. Walking outside is an activity that is free but only great if the windchill remains above –15 C. I'm not Albertan so that's the maximum for me. 

The new smorgasbord of policies and regulations is not easily understood and can change quickly. Much of my holiday season was spent recovering from Omicron and laughing at TikTok accounts trying to make sense of the new regulations for 2022. Even though said laughing sent me into a coughing fit. 

As we approach the third year of the pandemic, there is despair and frustration, and deep concerns for health care workers and educators who are charged with caring for the most vulnerable populations. 

It can feel overwhelming when we see and hear the palpable frustration and cries for help from different communities. We worry constantly, about the elderly, about the kids. And about the students who are trying to continue their post-secondary education in a sea of uncertainty and exhausted by the technical glitches of online learning. 

On Jan. 3, Ontario's Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries informed the province's university and collegiate athletic programs (20 members of Ontario University Athletics and 27 in the Ontario Colleges Athletics Assocation) that they are not considered to have "elite amateur" status and must immediately stop training programs and game schedules until further notice, or when the Return To Play strategy can be initiated (Jan. 27 at the earliest). 

The Return To Play policy came out in 2020, and the seven elite amateur leagues which can continue are the same ones that were announced last year: Ontario Hockey League, Provincial Women's Hockey League, Elite Basketball League of Ontario (U18), League 1, Junior A, Women's Field Lacrosse, and the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association.

At first, the rendered decision seems to be one that could be considered sensible. Isn't the primary role of universities and colleges to protect their students? The transmissibility of Omicron is extremely high and breakthrough cases for vaccinated persons are on the rise. Would we not want the student-athletes to be safe?

But the issue is not that simple, and the Ontario government's decision brought an onslaught of criticism and frustration from athletes and coaches in the OUA and OCAA, some of the best in the country. What differentiates those seven leagues from the others, and why the OUA and OCAA remain excluded, is vague at best. 

WATCH | Shireen Ahmed on Ontario's student-athletes losing out:

The manner in which it was communicated fell short for athletes, coaches and both the OUA and OCAA. As well, the selection of the said elite leagues seems arbitrary at best. 

In an email to CBC News, Alexandra Adamo, press secretary to Premier Doug Ford, said that the Jan. 3 decision was based on advice from the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore.

"Our government is doing everything possible to blunt the transmission of COVID-19 and the rapidly spreading Omicron variant," she wrote. "These time-limited measures will help in our fight against this virus and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. This decision, based on advice from the chief medical officer of health, was made to keep people safe."