Mayor Margaret Quirk issued a declaration of emergency on March 19, 2020 in response to COVID-19 in the Town of Georgina.
The Town of Georgina is working closely with York Region Public Health and N6 municipal counterparts monitoring the global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Town has taken precautionary measures regarding facilities, programs and services.
Customer service: The Civic Centre remains closed, however, you can call customer service from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For after-hours emergencies about animal control, roads, water or wastewater, call 905-476-4301 and follow the prompts to reach after-hours on-call services. Municipal Law Enforcement can be reached at 905-476-4301, ext. 2279 or 2272. For after hours and weekends, call ext. 2281. If your call goes to voicemail, leave a detailed message including the date, time and location of the violation, and an officer will investigate.
Virtual Town Hall: Mayor Margaret Quirk and Dr. Karim Kurji, medical officer of health for York Region, will answer questions and discuss the latest updates on COVID-19 on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Get information on a variety of topics including masks, testing, the second wave and back to school. Submit your questions for Dr. Kurji in advance to communications@georgina.ca by end of day Sept. 29. RSVP to the event at facebook.com/TownofGeorgina for the live stream. Visit georgina.ca/COVID-19 for more.
Reopening plans: Continuing with its phased and responsible approach, the Town of Georgina has reopened some additional amenities and facilities. These include the Georgina Leisure Pool, Georgina Ice Palace, the Link and all three branches of Georgina Public Library. Town facilities were closed to the public in March to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. See georgina.ca/swim for programming details. See georginalibrary.ca/reopening for new protocols. Progress continues with the reopening of waterfront and neighbourhood parks, playgrounds and parking lots with all remaining areas to be reopened by Oct. 9, 2020.
Garbage and recycling: Following five months of bag tag exemption, the Town has resumed its regular pick-up allowance. Effective Sept. 28, the Town retured to one bag/item of garbage every other week with the option of an additional four bags with tags per garbage pickup. Bag tags can be purchased a number of locations in Georgina. A list of vendors can be found online. Used latex gloves and masks go in the garbage lined with a plastic bag. They do not go in recycling. If you have questions, contact customer service at 905-476-4301 or GFL at 1-866-421-5625. For more about waste and recycling, download the free Recycle Coach app or visit georgina.ca/WasteandRecycling.
Marriage licence: Looking to tie the knot? The Town of Georgina is once again issuing marriage licences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, licences will be issued by appointment only and new protocols have been put in place for pickup at the Civic Centre. Applicants must complete a marriage licence application form which can be found at georgina.ca/MarriageLicence and provide two pieces of identification from each person applying for a licence. A list of acceptable identification documents can be found online.
Parks and beaches: De La Salle Park and beach has reopened with reduced capacity and new restrictions. The beach and park is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with Town staff on site to monitor and control the number of users permitted in the park. On weekends, police officers are also on site to monitor and support Town Staff where needed and assist with traffic control. Painted social circles have been placed on the park grass directing visitors to maintain physical distancing. Once the park has reached the maximum safe capacity, further access into the park will be restricted. Visit georgina.ca/beaches to learn more.
Playgrounds: A number of playgrounds throughout Town have reopened, including the De La Salle playground, Vista Park, Pefferlaw Lions Hall and Community Park, Egypt Hall Park, Udora Hall Park, Virginia Park, Lorne Street Park, Sheppard Avenue Park, Highcastle Park, Civic Centre Park, Wyndham Park, Kin Park, Sutton Multi-use Park, West Park, Thornlodge Park, Const. Garrett Styles Park, Hollywood Park, Bayview Park, Richmond Park (2 locations), and Watson Park. To ensure everyone stays safe while at the playground, visitors are reminded of the following: use at your own risk, wash your hands before and after a visit, stay home if not feeling well and playground equipment is not sanitized.
Fireworks: The Town issued a declaration of emergency on March 19 in response to COVID-19. During this time, residents are reminded that while under a declared emergency, the discharge of fireworks are prohibited to reduce safety risks.
Burn permits: Online permit applications for agricultural and open-air burn permits are available. To obtain a permit, property owners are required to complete the application and email the form to fireadmin@georgina.ca for processing. The application can either be printed or downloaded. If the applicant is not the property owner, a letter of authorization must be attached. At this time, only Visa and MasterCard will be the accepted form of payment for an open-air burn permit. The permit fee is $35 for the calendar year. Processing of either permit will take up to eight business days. Visit georgina.ca/fire for more.
Boat launches: Town boat launches are open. This includes Young’s Harbour, Adeline Park, Rayners Park, King Road End, Holmes Point Road across from Peninsula Resort and 101 Clovelly Cove. Anyone launching a boat is asked to maintain physical distancing by staying two metres apart. Parking is limited and available on a first-come basis.
Trails: Town trails are open with the following guidelines - practise physical distancing of at least two metres, leash and pick up after your dog, and take your litter home with you. To learn more about trails in Georgina, visit georgina.ca/trails.
Council meetings: The Town is holding virtual Council meetings. The Town is using the ZOOM platform for the meetings, in addition to the usual broadcast through the Town’s live internet streaming tool. Public participation by phone is now available. A pre-registration form is required to be submitted to the Clerks Division by noon the day before the meeting. The form can be found at georgina.ca/CouncilMeetings. Rogers TV Georgina will also broadcast the meetings.
Property taxes and water/sewer bills: Council previously provided a 30-day waive of penalty and interest associated with the April 27 instalment of the interim tax bill. The Mayor and CAO have now decided to extend this to 90 days. There will be no penalty added in May, June or July for an unpaid April 27 instalment. Residents who have an outstanding amount before April 27 will still incur penalty and interest on those amounts. As well, 2019 water/wastewater rates will remain in place for the duration of 2020. The Town encourages everyone who is able to pay their property taxes on time to continue to do so, as this will allow the municipality to provide relief programs to those in need. Visit georgina.ca/taxes to learn about property tax payment options.
Short-term rental accommodations: Although the province has lifted the order on the use of Short-term Rental Accommodations (STRAs), all STRAs operating in Georgina still require a licence to operate that is issued by the Town. Report unlicensed STRAs to the Municipal Law Enforcement Division at 905-476-4301, ext. 2272 or 2279. After hours and on weekends, call ext. 2281. If your call is not answered, leave a detailed message.
Recreation and culture programs cancelled: With the safety of children and staff at the forefront, the Town of Georgina has made the decision to cancel all 2020 summer registered programs and aquatic lessons including the existing line-up of summer camp opportunities due to COVID-19. The ROC Challenge Course and Georgina Leisure Pool will also remain closed until further notice.
Recreation at Home: The Town's Recreation and Culture Department is here for you. Are you looking for something fun to keep you and your family engaged while at home? Visit georgina.ca/RecreationAtHome for activities such as games, craft ideas and more. New content will be added regularly.
Stephen Leacock Theatre, Sutton Arena, Georgina Pioneer Village and Club 55 locations: Closed until further notice.
Committee meetings: Cancelled until further notice.
Building services: The Building Division can accommodate most building permit and pool enclosure permit needs at building@georgina.ca or 905-476-4301. If you are unable to reach someone in person, we will make every attempt to contact you within three hours. Visit georgina.ca/building to learn more.
Georgina Fire and Rescue Services: The Fire Services administrative building at 165 the Queensway South is closed to the public.
Parking: The Town of Georgina has resumed regular parking enforcement. The suspension of the three-hour on-street parking restrictions has been lifted and the three-hour limit is being enforced. Everyone is encouraged to be aware of parking signage that indicates no parking or stopping. Remember – lanes need to be clear to allow safe road access for emergency vehicles. To learn more about parking regulations, visit georgina.ca/parking.
Noise By-law: The Town’s Noise By-law currently meets the requirement to allow all service or delivery trucks, who are providing essential services to continue with their business outside of current daytime hours. This will ensure all essential services and stores will be stocked for our community.
Georgina Animal Shelter: Closed to the public. Staff are on site to provide animal care. The shelter is not accepting any donations. Visit georgina.ca/AnimalServices for more.
As this matter is continually evolving, residents are encouraged to follow the Town’s communications channels, including this webpage and social media, for updates (Facebook and Twitter).
All inquiries related to COVID-19 should be directed to York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, Monday to Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information on COVID-19, visit York Region Public Health’s website at york.ca/covid19 or the Province of Ontario’s website at ontario.ca/coronavirus.
