*Please see below a media release issued by the City of Burlington. (PDF version: OBCM – News Release – January 15 2021 Meeting)
Burlington, Ont. — Jan. 15, 2021 — Earlier this week, the Province announced a State of Emergency, with additional restrictions to help control the spread of COVID-19. The State of Emergency began Thursday, Jan. 14 at 12:01 a.m., including a Stay-at-Home Order in place for all regions of Ontario, including Halton Region, for at least 28 days.
IMPACTS TO CITY SERVICES AND PROGRAMS
City Hall
City Hall, located at 426 Brant St., remains open for in-person service by appointment only for commissioning services and marriage licences. Walk-ins are not permitted.
Please visit burlington.ca/commissioning, burlington.ca/marriage or call 905-335-7777 to book your appointment. Residents can also visit burlington.ca/onlineservices to access a variety of City services online.
Service Burlington is available to answer questions by phone during regular business hours, at 905-335-7777 and city@burlington.ca.
Building staff are processing building permit applications. Anyone wanting to apply for a building permit or follow up on an existing building permit application can email building@burlington.ca. Staff are responding to requests and are assisting applicants with the building permit process. For more information, visit burlington.ca/building.
Burlington Transit
Burlington Transit will continue to run as scheduled including specialized transit. The transit terminal at 430 John St. will remain open to provide PRESTO services including SPLIT passes. Presto services are available at Shoppers Drug Mart or online at prestocard.ca. Transit schedules are available online at burlingtontransit.ca to download and print, via Google Maps, Apple Maps and using myride.burlingtontransit.ca.
Halton Court Services – Provincial Offences Office
Halton POA administration counter services are currently closed. Telephone payments are available at 905-637-1274, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Many online services are also available by email at burlingtoncourt@burlington.ca or by visiting www.haltoncourtservices@burlington.ca
Recreation, Community & Culture Services and Facilities
Leaving your home for outdoor exercise is allowed under the current provincial regulations, as long as 2 metres of physical distancing is maintained at all times from anyone outside of your household. Exercise is an essential need for everyone. It is important to stay active for both physical and mental health.
Outdoor recreational parks and open spaces that are allowed to stay open include City-sanctioned toboggan hills, neighbourhood rinks, multiuse courts, playgrounds, trails, Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond and parks. Equipment lending (curbside pick-up) can continue.
Please cooperate with others using the outdoor space and follow all public health measures and posted signage.
Outdoor Skating
The Rotary Centennial Pond at 1340 Lakeshore Rd. is open for skating daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Residents wishing to use the rink must pre-register and complete the online screening at burlington.ca/screening. Capacity on this rink is 35 people and meets the provincial regulations.
A new artificial outdoor rink at Hidden Valley Park, 1137 Hidden Valley Rd. is open for skating daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. All users must pre-register and complete the online screening at burlington.ca/screening. Capacity on this rink is 10 people and meets the provincial regulations.
For both skating rinks, as per new provincial regulations, additional measures are in place for outdoor activities that require the use of masks. Visitors must wear masks while standing in line and it is highly recommended during skating. For more information, follow @Burl_ParksRec and visit burlington.ca/pond for updates.
Outdoor Winter Play Challenge
Residents can also take the Outdoor Winter Play Challenge and see how many free activities they can complete by Feb. 19, 2021. Learn more at burlington.ca/playoutside.
Active at Home
Options to stay active at home are available online at burlington.ca/activeathome, including a series of virtual activities from fitness to crafts for everyone to enjoy. All videos are free and new videos are added frequently. Follow @BurlingtonParksRec on Facebook and @Burl_parksandrec on Twitter for the latest updates and videos.
Roads, Parks and Forestry
Services provided by the Roads, Parks and Forestry Department will continue as needed. Residents with questions or issues can email RPF@burlington.ca or call 905-333-6166.
Quick Facts
- To report an incident of non-compliance with the provincial emergency orders in Halton, please call the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 hotline at 905-825-4722. The hotline will accept non-compliance reports for the following Provincial emergency orders:
MAYOR MEED WARD’S TAKE:
I support additional measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including the new Stay at Home measures from the Province. Essential services will remain open, with restrictions.
We’re now in the worst of the COVID-19 crisis. We need to pull together and continue looking after each other and ourselves now more than ever.
As our federal and provincial partners continue with the vaccine rollout, it’s crucial we continue following the advice of our medical health practitioners – stay home unless it’s essential, stick to members of your own household (unless you live alone and can choose an exclusive single household to join), wear masks, stay 2 m/6 ft. apart and continually wash and sanitize your hands.
The City of Burlington is an essential service and is following the Province’s Emergency regulations. Our staff will continue to work from home serving residents, and we continue to follow safety protocols for those staff required to be on site.
Thank you to all our Burlington residents who have been following these protocols from the start; you’re all doing your part and making sacrifices to help protect your family, friends, loved ones and even the folks you don’t know.
—
PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.
A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.
Halton Region has also created a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine webpage for up to date information on the status of our COVID19 vaccination program.
A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.
To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.
We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.
HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:
- Community questions and requests regarding City of Burlington services can be directed to Service Burlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online.
- Halton Region has created a Reopening Schools resource webpage for parents, students and teachers at halton.ca/covid19.
- For further COVID-19 information, including where to get tested, please visit Halton Region Public Health halton.ca/coronavirus
- Residents can stay informed at burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
- Questions about the cancellation of Recreation programs can be directed to rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738
- City of Burlington: www.burlington.ca/coronavirus
- Resources for Residents & Non-Profit Organizations: www.burlington.ca/covid19resources.
- Halton Region: www.halton.ca/coronavirus
- Government of Ontario: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
- Provincial Emergency Orders: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200052
- Government of Canada: www.canada.ca/coronavirus
- World Health Organization: www.who.int
- Joseph Brant Hospital: josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19
- Team Burlington Business Supports: burlingtonchamber.com/team-burl-supporting-burl-business-during-covid-19/
- Burlington Food Bank: call 905-637-CARE (2273), or visit burlingtonfoodbank.ca
- Food for Life: call 905-635-1106 and press 7, or visit foodforlife.ca
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Halton Branch: call 289-291-5396, or visit halton.cmha.ca
—
*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist