Wainfleet Looks Ahead With Stage 2 Re-opening
Wainfleet, ON – More businesses in Wainfleet were permitted to open yesterday as the Niagara Region entered stage 2 of the phased provincial reopening plan The phased reopening of business, to provide goods and services, hinges on the public continuing to follow the advice and protocols established by public health officials
“We’ve been waiting patiently for things to start to move forward,” said Mayor Kevin Gibson“Most people are doing what they need to do to keep safe and that’s why we are able to continue to expand services.”
The following sectors are permitted to open or expand service under phase 2:
- Personal and personal care services
- Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants & bars
- Shopping malls & centres
- Photography studios & services
- Film & TV production activities
- Tour & guide services
- Water recreational facilities
- Outdoor recreational facilities with low contact
- Beaches, parks & camping
- Outdoor recreational team sports
- Drive-in & drive-thru venues
- Weddings, funerals and similar gatherings
- Libraries
- Community centres
- Attractions & heritage institutions
- Small outdoor events
Gatherings for events however, including weddings and funerals, are limited to groups of 10 people
While some municipalites such as Lincoln, Grimsby and Port Colborne opened their beaches yesterday, the remaining municipalities, including Wainfleet, expect to reopen on Friday, June 26th, once washrooms and other infrastructure arrangements have been finalized to ensure all health regulations are met and opening can be accomplished safely
Provincial emergency orders continue to apply until at least June 30, 2020 however, and while beaches and other venues are reopening, there is still the need for people to behave responsibly, according to Wainfleet Fire Chief Morgan Alcock “No alcohol, no fires,
proper social distancing, strict hand hygiene – people should know by now what to do and we are counting on them to do the right thing,” he said
Mayor Gibson emphasized that the recent partnership between the Township, the NPCA and the NRP has been “yielding results,” with over 100 tickets issues and over a dozen illegal fires extinguished, adding that despite resource shortages of their own, “the Niagara Regional Police have been out with us, where possible, and helped us to enforce when needed.”
By-law Enforcement Officer Mark Tardiff suggested that while summer 2020 is trending toward being a busy one in spite of the pandemic, most people are generally responsive to advice or direction from Officers “Most people are cordial and understand the Officers are just doing their job in the interest of public safety,” he said “We are still taking an educational approach and in most cases we seem to have found a good balance.”
Township staff continue to deliver municipal services, wherever possible, despite being closed to in-person meetings and interaction As well as monitoring and responding to the changing demands of the pandemic, senior staff have also been planning how more public-facing service might be provided when the Township is safe to reopen There is no set date for such reopening at this point
Public hearings for the Planning Department, as well as Council meetings held in Chambers, are expected to resume in July, as well as the Wainfleet Farmers Market, which is slated to resume on July 8th in the pavilion behind the Wainfleet Arena
“There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes and we have a lot yet to do as we move forward to make sure we do this safely and well,” said Mayor Gibson
For more information on the Province’s Stage-Two re-opening, visit ontario.ca
For more information, contact:
Mayor Kevin Gibson 905-899-3463 ext227
Township of Wainfleet
Morgan Alcock 905-899-3463 ext274
Fire Chief/CEMC