As part of its ongoing efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, the City of Pickering is extending its closure of all facilities until July 1, 2020 (inclusive).
Closures include Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, Pickering Animal Shelter, Pickering Museum Village (virtual museum village launching soon), community centres and arenas, said a city announcement.
While closed to the public, Pickering City Hall and the Operations Centre remain minimally staffed to ensure the continued delivery of essential and critical services. All Pickering Public Library branches remain closed, but virtual services can be accessed at picnet.org/digitalresources.
While the city’s parks and trails remain open, the amenities within it do not. This includes playground structures, basketball courts, tennis courts, sports fields, gazebos, splash pads, skateboard parks, off-leash dog parks, and park parking lots.
The city urged residents to stay home as much as possible, and if walking through the parks or trails, to practice good physical distancing and remain 6 ft/2 m from those outside of their household. Anyone caught removing or vandalizing caution tape, barriers, or signage, or using off-limit spaces may be fined.
Spring leisure programs (including aquatics, fitness, and leisure programs) have been cancelled and registration for summer 2020 is on hold until further notice. All Pickering Public Library in-house programs have been cancelled until July 1, 2020.
Permits for private events at city facilities, including library rooms, are cancelled until July 1, 2020, and refunds will be issued. Permits for sports fields and summer ice are suspended until July 1, 2020.
Additionally, the following city and community-organized events have also been cancelled: Petapolooza, Artfest, Whitevale Spring Festival, D-Day Ceremony & Parade, Ajax-Pickering Rotary Ribfest, Pickering Dragon Boat Festival, Adobo Festival, and Canada Day festivities. Visit pickering.ca/greatevents for a full list of impacted events, some of which will continue in a virtual format, including Canada Day festivities.
“While our collective efforts at combatting the Covid-19 outbreak have given us room for hope in recent days, we must remain cautious and fulfil our commitment to protect our community and its most vulnerable members. Prematurely relaxing restrictions on society could have detrimental effects and we are taking the most responsible measures to stop the spread. With the support of our residents, businesses, and community groups, we are getting through this together,” said Deputy Mayor Kevin Ashe.
Facility Closures and Program/Event Cancellation Extension
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