As more information becomes available, I am sharing further details on restrictions and what is open and closed in our community during the upcoming provincewide lockdown.
As shared in my latest COVID-19 update, on Monday the Province announced an Ontario-wide lockdown starting at 12:01am as of Saturday, December 26, 2020 and continuing in Ottawa until Saturday, January 23, 2021. Measures include, but are not limited to:
- Restricting indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household (the people you live with). Individuals who live alone may consider having exclusive close contact with one other household.
- Prohibiting in-person shopping in most retail settings – curbside pickup and delivery can continue. Discount and big box retailers selling groceries will be limited to 25 per cent capacity for in-store shopping. Supermarkets, grocery stores and similar stores that primarily sell food, as well as pharmacies, will continue to operate at 50 per cent capacity for in-store shopping.
- Restricting indoor access to shopping malls – patrons may only go to a designated indoor pickup area (by appointment only), essential retail stores that are permitted to be open (e.g. pharmacy, grocery store), or, subject to physical distancing and face covering requirements, to the food court for takeout purchases. Shopping malls may also establish outdoor designated pickup areas.
- Prohibiting indoor and outdoor dining. Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take out, drive-through, and delivery only.
Please review this 28-page “Provincewide Shutdown Deck” PDF file for details.
How does this affect Ottawa and Kanata North?
The city will temporarily close city-managed recreation and cultural facilities to the public and suspend some in-person services until Saturday, January 23, 2021. This excludes respite centres, COVID-19 assessment centres and municipal childcare centres. In addition, bfore-and-after school programs and inclusive recreation programs will continue when elementary schools resume.
Current city in-person counter services will remain operational:
- Ottawa City Hall and Ben Franklin Place Client Service Centres (101 Centrepointe Drive) – including the Building Code service desks (by appointment-only)
- Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Avenue (by appointment-only)
- Employment and Social Services offices (by appointment only)
- Rent Supplement Office (100 Constellation)
Outdoor community and refrigerated skating rinks will remain open for skating only, weather permitting. Change huts will be closed. No hockey or other team sports are permitted on the ice and skaters must maintain a two-metre distance from people outside their household.
Other city park amenities remain open for public use. Residents are reminded to follow public health guidelines and maintain physical distancing.
As of December 26, recreation and cultural facilities will close to the public – including recreation complexes, community centres, arenas, swimming pools, theatres, galleries and museums.
Suspended or altered services
The city will suspend or alter the following in-person services during the 28-day provincial shutdown, which include:
- All drop-in recreation activities and programs – including indoor skating and swimming (public and lane swims)
- Outdoor recreation classes including Terry Fox Cross Country Ski program
- Any indoor recreation, aquatic and arts program scheduled to begin in mid-January will be delayed until after the shutdown
- Ottawa Public Library branches will not allow public access, but contactless curbside services will continue
- EarlyON and Family Care Centres will be closed but will be providing virtual services
- Ottawa Fire Services’ Fire Prevention unit will conduct immediate-threat-to-life inspections and paid or complaint inspections on a case-by-case basis
- OC Transpo Service Centre at the Rideau Centre will also be closed. Online services are available at octranspo.com
Parking enforcement
To support those staying home during the shutdown, By-law and Regulatory Services will not be enforcing overtime parking on unsigned residential streets. All other parking restrictions that ensure safety and mobility remain in effect, including parking bans due to snow accumulation, no-stopping zones, no-parking zones, fire routes, accessible parking spaces, pay and display, and rules around sidewalks, driveways and fire hydrants.
No-charge transit service on New Year’s Eve
OC Transpo and its partners, MADD Ottawa and Safer Roads Ottawa, will no longer be offering no-charge transit service on New Year’s Eve. This decision was made in consultation with Ottawa Public Health and supports the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health’s recommendation that all Ontarians stay home and only leave when necessary for work, grocery shopping and medical appointments.
Recreation and Cultural program refunds
Clients can go to their online account to withdraw from a registered program and can request a refund for the credit on their account. If assistance is required, staff will process refunds in the new year.
Residents are encouraged to continue acquiring services or doing transactions online or by phone
Residents can continue to acquire many services and complete payments and registrations online or by phone.
Residents can go to myservice.ottawa.ca to pay water bills and your interim property taxes. If you do not have an account, registration is simple – just sign-up with your email address. Once registered, you’ll need your account or property roll number to pay your bill.
City bills have other payment options besides the myservice.ottawa.ca accounts, which include:
- Paying by credit or debit card online at ottawa.ca
- Paying through your financial institution by creating a payee number on your institution’s mobile app or through an ATM machine
- Paying by phone with your financial institution
- Sending by mail
Residents can access many other services online as well. You do not need to come in-person to a Client Service Centre if you want to:
- Register or renew a pet registration
- Apply for or renew an open-air fire permit
- Pay a parking or traffic ticket
- Look up an extension or reopening applications
- Apply for a Food Premise Business License
- Sign-up for future recreation programs
- Load and manage a Presto Card
Be sure to visit ottawa.ca/covid19 or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) for complete and up-to-date information on closures, impacted services, and support and services.
Specifically for Kanata North, the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Centre will be closed from December 26, 2020 to at least January 23, 2021.
I will provide further updates as more information becomes available. Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.
Stay safe, be COVID Wise.