May 25 - Update
- Councillor Nunziata
- May 25, 2020
- 6 min read
Dear Friends and Neighbours,
I have been receiving many questions regarding Parking Permit renewals. Current Parking Permits with an expiry date of May 31, 2020 will continue to be honoured past that date and enforcement on all streets where permit parking signs are posted remains suspended until further notice.
The Queens Drive-Weston Annual Street Sale, which takes place on the second Saturday of every June, is unfortunately cancelled this year due to COVID-19. The event’s organizers look forward to seeing you next year!
Overnight work will take place on Rectory Rd from May 27 – May 29 to complete the watermain cleaning and relining project. The construction hours are between 7 PM - 7 AM. From time-to-time during construction, the water supply will be shut off. The contractor will provide notice at least 24-hours in advance for all planned shut-offs. To see the full construction notice, contact info for the project, as well as what to expect during construction, please click here.
The City is completing the engineering design work for the Keele Relief Sanitary Trunk Sewer. In order to complete the engineering design, soil samples are needed to confirm the underground conditions in the planned work area. The City will be taking soil samples at two locations in York South—Weston: Keele St at Lawrence Ave W and Keele St at Irving Rd. Work is scheduled to begin on May 28 and expected to end in August 2020. A drilling rig will be set up at each work location to take soil samples along the street and City property. To find out more about the work details, contact info for the project, and what to expect during construction, please see this notice of site work.
Community gardens have reopened in Toronto. If you use one, please click here to visit the City’s website for more info and guidance on reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Sincerely,
Frances
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CITY-WIDE UPDATES:
Waitlist for businesses requiring licenses and/or permits from the City of Toronto
In March, following advice from the Medical Officer of Health and in support of the City of Toronto’s coordinated response to COVID-19, the City suspended a number of City services to ensure the continued delivery of critical services and protect the health of City staff and residents. The issuing of new business licences and renewal of existing licences by the City of Toronto has been suspended since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS) understands the anxiety business owners are experiencing and is making plans to resume licensing activities as part of the City’s recovery and rebuild efforts. A waitlist has been created for businesses requiring licences and/or permits from the City of Toronto. Businesses that are on the waitlist will be contacted directly by MLS staff, in order of registration, with information about next steps in online licensing and resumption of services. Businesses wishing to be added to the waitlist can email mlsapplication@toronto.ca. More information on business licensing and application requirements is available at https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/permits-licences-bylaws/.
Non-emergency bylaw enforcement and investigation services remain suspended, including service requests related to enforcement of bylaws governing licensed businesses. Information on City services can be found online: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/affected-city-services/.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) today issued a Heat Warning for Toronto for Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27. ECCC issues a Heat Warning when it forecasts two or more consecutive days with daytime maximum temperatures of 31°C or warmer, together with minimum nighttime temperatures of 20°C or warmer, or when there is a forecast of two or more consecutive days with humidex values expected to reach 40 or higher.
The City’s Heat Relief Strategy has been updated for the 2020 hot weather season, in response to COVID-19, to ensure that emergency heat relief opportunities are available and accessible to those who may need it. Many facilities that were part of the City’s 2019 Heat Relief Network of cool spaces across Toronto are closed due to COVID-19. For this reason, the City’s plan for heat relief this year has been modified and includes a select number of Emergency Cooling Centres that will open across Toronto during Heat Warnings.
Starting tomorrow (Tuesday, May 26) six locations will offer a publicly accessible air-conditioned place to rest indoors and receive a cool drink. Staff who are trained to assist residents affected by the extreme heat will be on hand. Infection prevention and control measures will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Emergency Cooling Centres will be open at the following community centres from 11 AM - 7 PM on May 26 and 27:
Wallace Emerson Community Centre, 1260 Dufferin St.
Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter St.
Malvern Community Centre Arena, 30 Sewells Rd
Scarborough Village Community Centre Arena, 3600 Kingston Rd.
Amesbury Arena, 155 Culford Dr.
Domenico DiLuca Community Centre, 25 Stanley Rd.
The City’s full 2020 Heat Relief Strategy, along with more Emergency Cooling Centre locations to be opened during Heat Warnings, will be announced soon.
The Heat Bylaw states that all landlords are responsible for providing heat to a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius from September 15 to June 1. However, there are periods during spring when unseasonably warm weather can cause the indoor temperature of units to rise above this temperature without additional heat. Having the heat on during these warm days can make it uncomfortably hot for tenants. With warmer weather forecasted for the next few days, the City is encouraging landlords to use their judgement when it comes to heating their rental units. Landlords can turn off the heat in rental units, if the weather outside means that the building is 21 degrees Celsius without heat. More information about the heat bylaw is available at toronto.ca/heatbylaw.
Paramedic Services Week 2020
May 24-30, 2020 is Paramedic Services Week in Canada. This celebration is held each year to recognize the contributions of these vital public servants who help maintain a safe and healthy city for all Torontonians.
Today, we acknowledge the staff of Toronto Paramedic Services including those on the frontlines and behind the scenes, who ensure that when any member of the public calls 9-1-1 for medical assistance, they receive superior and compassionate paramedic-based health care, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Last Pothole Blitz of May
Yesterday, City of Toronto crews repaired 6,807 potholes and addressed 168 requests for pothole repairs during the last of three weekend pothole blitzes planned in May.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19, Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa and Mayor John Tory strongly recommend that the public wear a face mask or face covering to protect others when in settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained. While wearing a face mask or face covering in public can help protect others from your germs, public health officials continue to stress that a face mask or face covering has not been proven to protect the person wearing it from COVID-19 and is not a substitute for physical distancing and hand washing.
Toronto Public Health partnering with COVID-19 Near You
Toronto Public Health is partnering with COVID Near You to monitor the frequency of COVID-like symptoms in Toronto. COVID Near You relies on voluntary participation from the general public, asking you to take a few seconds to report if you or your family members have been healthy or sick.
Toronto Public Health is asking residents to help them learn how symptoms of COVID-19 may be moving through our community by completing a short survey about their current symptoms. A link to the COVID Near You survey can be found on the Reduce Virus Spread page.
COVID Near You uses crowdsourced data to visualize maps to help citizens and public health agencies identify current and potential hotspots for the recent pandemic coronavirus, COVID-19. The website is a sister tool of Flu Near You, created by Ending Pandemics and Boston Children's Hospital in 2012 and maintained by the Boston Children’s Hospital team.
No public ferry access to Toronto Island Park
There is no public ferry access to Toronto Island Park. New federal regulations limit the number of individuals on a ferry in order to reduce crowding and limit the potential for virus transmission. The ferry will continue running for Island residents only.
The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. There are 10,212 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 177 cases since yesterday. There are 377 cases in hospital, with 91 in ICU. In total, 7,509 people have recovered from COVID-19, an increase of 112 cases since yesterday. To date, there have been 761 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform at https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/covid-19-status-of-cases-in-toronto/.
Yesterday, the City had a greater number of bylaw and police officers at Trinity Bellwoods Park throughout the day educating residents about physical distancing and proper use of the park. This strategy was successful, and although many people enjoyed the park, there was not a repeat of Saturday.
If a park is crowded when residents arrive, I encourage you to visit a different park, or come back later.
To assist residents with physical distancing, the City is exploring the use of circles painted on the grass, as has been successful in other jurisdictions. This will be piloted in Trinity Bellwoods Park, and staff will evaluate the effectiveness of this measure and may expand it to other destination and high traffic parks in Toronto.
Yesterday, the City received 89 complaints involving people using outdoor amenities that remain closed or not practising physical distancing in parks or squares. Bylaw officers issued 25 tickets. Enforcement officers have spoken to more than 5,250 people in City parks about the closures and public health measures.
For the latest updates from the City of Toronto, please click here.
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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