Town provides update on re-opening plans for outdoor municipal recreational amenities

The Town of St. Marys is providing an update on its plans for re-opening its outdoor recreational amenities as the Province of Ontario eases its COVID-19 restrictions.

To date, the Province has allowed the following outdoor recreational amenities to re-open: public boat launches, outdoor sports facilities and multi-use fields; off-leash dog areas; outdoor picnic sites, benches and shelters.

In response, the Town has re-opened its boat ramp, skatepark and tennis/pickleball courts. The municipality has opted to keep all other outdoor sports facilities, multi-use fields, outdoor picnic sites and shelters closed to discourage residents from gathering in large groups. While benches are not technically closed, they are not being sanitized; residents are advised to use them at their own risk.

The Town will continue to take a cautious approach to re-opening outdoor amenities going forward. This includes the St. Marys Quarry, which was set to open on Saturday, June 13, 2020. The Town has decided to keep the quarry closed until Friday, July 3, 2020. To date, the Province is still prohibiting the opening of public swimming pools, splash pads and other outdoor water facilities.

Even if the quarry is able to open after July 3, it will be without the inflatable park that was planned for this year. PT Watersports - the company that is leasing space at the Quarry from the Town - has postponed the inflatable’s installation to 2021. The fishing quarry also remains closed.

“We know that residents are eager to get outside and use our amenities, especially with the warmer weather we’ve been having,” said Mayor Al Strathdee. “As we move into our recovery phase, we are evaluating each of our outdoor recreational amenities to determine the best time to open them.”

“The health and safety of our residents and staff remains our first priority,” Strathdee continued. “We also need to be accountable to our tax payers and ensure we can operate our amenities in a safe and cost-effective manner before we re-open them.”

All of the Town’s other outdoor amenities and indoor facilities remain closed. As the Province continues to ease restrictions, the Town will carefully evaluate how to re-open its amenities and services safely and affordably. In the meantime, Town staff are available by phone or email, and many services are available online or by appointment. An up-to-date list of the status of municipal services can be found by visiting www.townofstmarys.com/covid19 or by calling 519-284-2340.

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Contact

Brett O’Reilly | Corporate Communications & Events Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 432 | boreilly@town.stmarys.on.ca