City of Toronto weekend update on services, amenities and ActiveTO

Toronto City Hall

The City of Toronto continues to safely and gradually reopen services and amenities for residents to enjoy. Those heading outside this weekend are reminded to adhere to Toronto Public Health’s advice to wash hands often, stay within their social circle of no more than 10 people, avoid crowds, practise physical distancing, and wear a face covering or mask in all indoor public spaces.

Bonfires and the consumption of alcohol are not permitted in parks, beaches or public spaces. The City has created additional signage about both alcohol consumption and littering in parks. Bylaw enforcement officers and Toronto Police will issue tickets related to the consumption of alcohol and bonfires, with fines of up to $300. Fines for littering can be up to $500.

The City has increased the amount of waste bins along the waterfront and will be emptying those in high traffic areas more frequently. If a litter bin is full, residents are asked to take their garbage with them so it can be disposed of properly. Any overflowing bins or litter hot spots should be reported to 311.

Emergency Cooling Centres are open during Heat Warning
Environment and Climate Change Canada has declared a Heat Warning for Toronto, expected to last through Sunday, July 5. The City of Toronto opened 15 Emergency Cooling Centres for the duration of the Heat Warning. All the centres will operate during Heat Warnings only, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Metro Hall, 55 John St., which will run 24 hours during Heat Warnings. An interactive map is available to help those who need to locate an Emergency Cooling Centre near them. Malvern Recreation Community Centre is closed for the remainder of today, due to air conditioning issues. Starting tomorrow at 11 a.m., the cooling centre will relocate to Burrows Hall Community Centre (1081 Progress Ave, Scarborough) until the issue at is resolved.

More information is available at toronto.ca/keepcool.

City pools and splash pads
Torontonians can cool off at all of the City’s 140 splash pads and 56 outdoor swimming pools that are now open, with the exception of Donald D. Summerville, Alexandra Park and Kiwanis outdoor pools which are undergoing repairs. The City’s 100 wading pools continue to open on a location-by-location basis. In order to allow for physical distancing, the capacity at outdoor pools will be significantly reduced to 25 per cent. Swimmers will be limited to 45-minute sessions to allow for cleaning. Full details are available at toronto.ca/swim.

For the duration of Environment Canada’s Heat Warning, the following six outdoor pools will remain open until 11:45 p.m.:
•       Alex Duff Pool, 779 Crawford St.
•       Earlscourt Park/Giovanni Caboto Pool, 1369 St. Clair Ave. W.
•       Monarch Park, 115 Felstead Ave.
•       Parkway Forest, 55 Forest Manor Rd.
•       Smithfield Park, 175 Mount Olive Dr.
•       Sunnyside Park/Gus Ryder Pool, 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Beaches
Toronto beaches are open, including the four Toronto Island Park beaches. Lifeguards supervise swim areas from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Rouge Valley Beach remains closed this season. For more information on the City’s beaches visit toronto.ca/beaches. Water quality reports for local beaches are available at toronto.ca/health/swimsafe/index.htm.

City parks
Most amenities in City parks are open including:
•       picnic shelters
•       fixed BBQs
•       soccer and multi-use outdoor fields, including running tracks in parks
•       baseball diamonds and basketball courts
•       some public tennis courts and pickleball courts
•       lawn bowling and outdoor bocce
•       outdoor pools and splash pads
•       off-leash dog parks
•       BMX locations and skateboard parks
•       City-run golf courses and disc golf locations
•       ravine green spaces, beaches, trails and boardwalks for walking, running or biking
•       fishing with a licence, boating, kayaking and canoeing.

Playgrounds and outdoor exercise equipment remain closed. As COVID-19 continues to circulate the community residents visiting a beach or park must practise physical distancing and avoid crowding. Individuals are not permitted to play team sports on fields or courts intended for this purpose unless they are members of the same household. For more information please visit the City Services webpage.

Toronto Island Park public ferry and beaches
The public ferry service recently resumed operations at 50 per cent capacity. A number of COVID-19 guidelines and procedures are in place to protect passengers and staff. Tickets are limited to 5,000 per day. Visitors must purchase tickets online in advance at toronto.ca/ferry. Passengers are required to wear masks or face coverings. To reduce crowding, visitors are encouraged to travel outside of peak times of 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (from the ferry terminal to the island), and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. for the return trip.

Lifeguards returned to the four Toronto Island Park swimming beaches on July 1. Services and amenities that are open at Toronto Island Park include washrooms, a splash pad, a first aid station, William Meany Maze, some food and beverage outlets and disc golf. Other Toronto Island Park public and commercial amenities, including Centreville, park playgrounds and boat rentals, remain closed under the current Province of Ontario emergency orders.

Public washroom facilities
Park washrooms are open to the public. In addition, the City has opened a number of facilities with showers, washrooms, and drinking water for all individuals in need of these services. More details including health guidelines for washrooms are available on the City Services webpage. Residents using public washrooms should maintain a distance of two metres or six feet from others at all times while waiting in line and wash hands or use hand sanitizer. It is also recommended that masks or face coverings are worn, especially when physical distancing is difficult.

ActiveTO road closures, cycling network and Quiet Streets
The following ActiveTO major road closures will be in place this weekend, from Saturday, July 4 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, July 5 at 11 p.m.:
•       Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed
•       Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only) from Leslie Street to just south of Woodbine Avenue (Kew Beach Avenue)
•       Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue
Residents planning to use these roads should access them by bike or as a pedestrian as nearby parking is limited and there is no site parking available. Parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Budapest Park and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park will be closed all weekend during ActiveTO closures. Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots and any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday night.

A reminder that two major downtown ActiveTO cycling network connections have been installed along University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent, between Adelaide Street West and Bloor Street West, and Bloor Street between Avenue Road and Sherbourne Street. Separated bike lanes have also been installed on Dundas Street East, between Sackville Street and Broadview Avenue.
More than 60 kilometres of Quiet Streets are available to local residents throughout the city this weekend. Quiet Streets are shared neighbourhood streets for walking, running, biking and slow moving local traffic only. More information on ActiveTO, including an online map of all locations, is available at toronto.ca/activeTO.
CaféTO
Curb-lane closures will be in place this weekend to accommodate new cafés/patios for CaféTO locations throughout the city.

St. Lawrence Market
The St. Lawrence Market continues to operate with enhanced precautions under the advisement of Toronto Public Health.  The South Market is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Saturday Farmers’ Market indoor and outdoor areas are open weekly from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Sunday Antique Market remains closed until further notice.

As of Tuesday, July 7, anyone entering the St. Lawrence Market Complex will be required to wear a mask or face covering. In advance of this date it is strongly recommended to wear a mask or face covering. Customers are reminded that even when wearing a mask or face covering keeping physical distance from others and washing your hands often are the best ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19. For more information visit stlawrencemarket.com

The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice and information about City services, social supports and economic recovery measures. Check toronto.ca/covid-19/ for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.

SOURCE: City of Toronto

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