May 15 - Update
- Councillor Nunziata
- May 15, 2020
- 6 min read
Dear Friends and Neighbours,
Although this May Long Weekend might be different than what you had planned, we can still have fun, be active & enjoy the outdoors in our city! As the nice weather approaches, parks remain open for residents however, the amenities remain closed including picnic tables, washrooms, and playgrounds. You are encouraged to get fresh air and exercise, but please be sure to follow current bylaws and guidance on physical distancing and gathering in groups. See below for an update on what you can and can’t do in parks.
The federal government announced that they will be extending the emergency wage subsidy program by three more months until end of August to help employers keep workers on the payroll. The wage subsidy program covers 75 per cent of an eligible company's payroll, up to a maximum of $847 per week per employee. They also broadened the eligibility for this benefit and asked companies to bring back their employees.
There have been reports of thieves approaching seniors in commercial parking lots for petty theft. Suspects tell the senior that their car is losing oil, and while the victim is distracted this way, a second person snatches their purse and they run away. Please stay safe and also be weary of any email and telephone scams, which there has been an increased amount of lately.
Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend!
Sincerely,
Frances Nunziata ________________________
Updates:
To slow the spread of COVID-19, the City of Toronto is extending the cancellation of City-led and City-permitted major festivals and events with attendance of more than 250 people through July 31, and those with attendance of 25,000 or more through August 31. The resumption or cancellation of professional sporting events is not included in this decision. Today's announcement includes festivals, conferences and cultural programs held in facilities managed by City divisions or public locations, such as roads, parks and civic squares. Issued permits are now cancelled and permits that have been applied for will not be issued.
Planned City of Toronto summer camps cancelled due to COVID-19, work underway for CampTO alternative
The City of Toronto is cancelling all planned 2020 summer camps and preparing an alternative program to get children safely back to camp through a new CampTO program. Details of the program are being developed and are dependent on the lifting of current provincial orders and recommendations from Toronto Public Health.
CampTO would provide children with a high-quality camp experience, inclusive of traditional camp activities, that incorporate public health measures designed to reduce the risk of virus spread, including physical distancing, smaller group sizes, daily health assessments and more extensive cleaning and hygiene measures. If permitted to operate, CampTO will provide 5,300 camp spaces per week for children ages 6 to 12 representing approximately 50 per cent of the typical City of Toronto camp capacity.
Registration details for the CampTO program will be announced once the Province is able to safely remove restrictions on day camps, and an estimated four weeks to prepare for their opening.
Following the Province of Ontario’s announcement that golf courses can reopen this weekend, the City of Toronto will open all five of its golf courses for the 2020 season.
Dentonia Park, Don Valley, Humber Valley, Scarlett Woods and Tam O'Shanter courses will open this Saturday, under the guidance of the Medical Officer of Health. To ensure the City’s golf courses operate safely, both for the benefit of those using the courses and for the general public, the City has created guidelines which include details on infection prevention and control measures, including parameters for physical distancing and the cleaning and disinfection of commonly used equipment and surfaces.
More information is available at the COVID-19: Changes to City Services under the Parks tab.
Update on use of parks
City parks are important for respite, serenity, and as an escape to nature and green space. While park amenities remain closed, many activities are permitted.
At this time, City parks are open for the following activities:
Walking, running, and biking in parks and ravine green spaces and along beaches, trails, and boardwalks
Resting or reading a book in green space
Picnicking in the park or sitting on a blanket and enjoying the park setting with members of your household while remaining two metres away from others
Walking dogs on-leash
Fishing with a licence
Boating, kayaking and canoeing
While those who are not ill are encouraged to use parks, provincial orders and the City bylaw on physical distancing remain in effect, requiring people who are not from the same household to maintain a physical distance of two metres in a park or public square.
More information is available at the COVID-19: Changes to City Services under the Parks tab.
Beginning this Saturday, May 16, three Drop-off Depots – Bermondsey, Ingram and Scarborough – will reopen to the general public on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for drop-off of recycling, garbage, yard waste and household hazardous waste.
Beginning Tuesday, May 19, Bermondsey and Ingram Drop-off Depots will also be open to the general public on weeknights for drop-off of recycling, garbage, and yard waste (household hazardous waste will only be accepted on Saturdays).
Outside of the above, all other Drop-off Depots remain closed to the general public. More details including drop-off opening hours are available at toronto.ca.
Information about fireworks over the long weekend
The City of Toronto has suspended issuing firework vendor’s permits, permitting the sale of fireworks, at this time.
Family fireworks may be discharged on your private property without a permit on Victoria Day. Family fireworks displays/discharges must still comply with the City of Toronto Fireworks by-law and the requirements to be aware of your surroundings and not discharge fireworks where they may be a nuisance, or pose a risk of fire or injury or damage to any person or property. Fireworks are not allowed to be discharged in City parks by members of the public.
Please contact 311 to report any illegal sale or possible misuse of fireworks.
The ActiveTO program developed by Toronto Public Health and Transportation Services will start to be rolled out this weekend across the city to provide more space for people to be physically active and improve physical distancing as part of the City's restart and recovery in the wake of COVID-19.
The City is installing 57 kilometres of Quiet Streets across Toronto. These are neighbourhood streets where traffic calming measures, such as signage and temporary barricades, will be put in place at intersections to encourage slow, local vehicle access only so that the roadway can be a shared space that also welcomes people who walk, run and bike. Parking and drop off areas will not be impacted, and City services, such as waste collection and emergency access, will continue as normal. The list of current and planned Quiet Streets is available at toronto.ca/activeTO and will be updated when locations are added.
On Monday, May 18 at 12:01 a.m., the Gardiner Expressway eastbound on-ramp at Jarvis Street will be fully closed for replacement and will reopen once the project is completed in 2021. This construction is the second to last phase of work to rehabilitate the expressway between Jarvis and Cherry Streets and will use an innovated construction technique, accelerated bridge construction, to remove sections of the ramp and replace it with custom built pre-fabricated sections.
During this construction, drivers should consider using alternate routes such as the eastbound Bay Street on-ramp, Lakeshore Boulevard East or the Don Roadway to the Don Valley Parkway.
Further details about the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation and the work to replace the eastbound Jarvis Street on-ramp is available at toronto.ca/jarvistocherry.
Toronto Public Health continues to see new infections in the city. There are 8,257 people infected with COVID-19 in Toronto, an increase of 160 since yesterday. There are also 6,034 people who have recovered from the virus, an increase of 183 since yesterday. Additional case status information can be found on the City’s reporting platform. Get the latest health advice on the City’s website.
The City’s coordinated COVID-19 Enforcement Team is continuing their important work across the city, educating residents on the City's physical distancing bylaw and provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act orders. This month, the enforcement team has issued 97 tickets related to the use of amenities or gatherings in parks or squares and spoken to more than 2,800 people.
For the latest updates from the City of Toronto, please clickhere.
For the latest updates from the Federal Government, please click here.
For the latest updates from the Province of Ontario, please click here.
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