Earlier today Halton Region Chair Gary Carr along with Halton‘s Mayors wrote a letter addressed to the Province of Ontario outlining why our region should move to Stage 2 timeline that was announced yesterday.
It is of vital importance that we do everything we can to get our local small and medium sized companies up and running as soon as possible. The health of our residents and the health of our economy are our top priority and they need to prepare their employees and products/services and move towards our new “normal”
First off I would like to thank our Milton youth & the members of our black community who put together today’s protest. It’s a great sign of the grassroots community support and the caring the large majority of our town has.
Many of my council colleagues were there along with other elected officials to also show our support but the most important part for us was showing solidarity to stand up against racism & discrimination.
I am also aware that we are still in a state of emergency due to COVID and I’m pleased that all efforts were taken to maintain safe physical distancing. It’s also important for people to be able to express their views and protest as we’re all guaranteed those rights under the Charter of Rights & Freedoms. The crisis of anti black & anti indigenous racism is real and this conversation of speaking and most importantly listening needs to continue.
After this event is over, let’s keep it going. Let’s listen to each other and work together to end racism and create a positive change for the future. Our young people have spoken … the black community has spoken … let’s listen. Together.
Due to the ever changing circumstances of the COVID19 situation and doing our best to keep in line with the Province of Ontario plans for a gradual, phased in re-opening and recovery, the Town has taken a number of steps to phase in some activities and work towards future changes to some of our amenities.
Keeping in mind we are in constant dialogue with the Halton Region COVID Response team as we make these decisions.
As you will read in the news release, the Town has decided to cancel all Town run summer camp programs. This is a heartbreaking decision to make as many children and adults take advantage of Milton’s high quality, fun and educational camp programs during the summer season. I personally support this decision consulting with public health directives as well as our top priority of keeping Milton residents & employees as safe as possible. Should things change, our staff is working on possible modified programs that will be announced and advertised in the community.
Please note the directives on park activities, including off leash parks, tennis courts, and sports fields.
As always stay tuned to the Town of Milton social media for up to date changes & announcements.
From the News Release – May 21, 2020
Summer Camps:
Following the Ontario Government and public health directives, Milton is cancelling all Town-run summer camp programs. The health and safety of staff and participants is paramount and based on a variety of factors, the Town of Milton is not in a position to run our regularly scheduled summer camp programs this year. As restrictions from the Province and Public Health are lifted, the Town may implement a redesigned or modified summer camp program where possible. If so, these modified programs will be advertised to the community.
Residents are asked to please be patient during this time as we expect it will take 2-4 weeks for staff to process these cancellations. Registrants will receive an email from the Town outlining the refund process.
Park activities and re-openings:
While parks were never closed for walk-through traffic, residents can now enjoy a few more activities in parks and green spaces, following physical distancing and with no more than five people:
Picnics
Flying a kite
Playing catch
Sitting on a blanket reading
As of Friday, May 22, 2020, the following will re-open with restrictions:
Off leash dog parks
Tennis courts
Park benches and shelters
Sports fields as open spaces
The following restrictions are in place for sports fields (such as baseball diamonds and soccer fields) or green space:
No more than five people gathered together
Must maintain physical distancing
No organized group or team sports
A number of park services and facilities remain closed. Visit the Town’s website to view the status of use for park equipment and services.
Town staff will continue to monitor and re-open amenities as it is deemed safe to do so, the priority continues to be the health and safety of our community.
Earlier today we held a special council meeting to update us on our COVID19 response. You can find the report here
During today’s meeting we made necessary changes to our meeting bylaws that will allow virtual participation from residents who want to comment on items listed on our agenda. Having the public take part in our council meeting, watching and commenting, is vitally important to us and resident will now be able to register with the clerk and present to council.
The other item was our COVID19 update which outlines a number of issues from business continuity, plans for economic recovery, operations going forward with reduced staffing levels and road plan mapping when we get the green light from the province and medical officer of health.
Plans are in place to get the Mayor’s Business Roundtable to become Milton’s economic recovery taskforce. In my role as chair of the Milton Economic Development Advisory Committee (MEDAC) I will be with our towns business leaders to devise an action plan to phase in business life – post COVID. While we haven’t received a date from the Province of Ontario, we will be setting up the course of action to be ready when that time comes.
Check out the video above for a synopsis of this meeting and if you have any questions or comments please let me know Mike.Cluett@Milton.ca
As the situation regarding the COVID19 situation continues to change, and in many ways improve, plans are now in place to start a roadmap in Halton to begin opening things up so that life in our amazing community can get back to where it should be. This of course is determined by a number of factors including direction from the Federal and Provincial Medical Officers of Health as well as Halton Regions MOH. The province of Ontario earlier this week outlined a “roadmap” set up in different phases to bring Ontario’s economy back online, kids back in their schools and for life to return to “normal” but there are no dates set in place. I believe that is the correct course of action going forward as we are still not out of the woods yet. Residents in Milton and Halton can go to www.halton.ca/covid19 for regular updates and statistics on where each municipality stands on infections, recoveries, etc. but until the MOH’s can determine that there is good chance there wont be any 2nd wave, we need to stay the course.
Keeping all of that in mind, the Town of Milton’s Crisis Management Team has made the decision to extend the closures of our town facilities, permits and events to July 5, 2020. This extension does result in the cancelation of the first week of summer camps and in the details below it will outline how residents can be kept up to date on any further changes.
This is an unfortunate but necessary course to set into action and all I can say is our town staff and CMT are working very hard to keep people updated on what is happening and doing what we can to get back to the point we can begin to enjoy these programs, social events, charity fundraising, and fellowship that makes Milton the best community in the world to live in. We’re getting through this.
Take care everyone! Enjoy the weekend!
May 1, 2020
From the Town of Milton News Release May 1, 2020
The Town of Milton is extending the closure of all facilities and postponing all recreation programs, permits, rentals, theatre performances and special events up to and including July 5 to protect the health and safety of residents and staff from COVID-19. This continued closure supports Halton Region and the Province of Ontario’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and ongoing measures to flatten the curve.
Town staff are conscious that programs, facilities and events will not return to 100 per cent capacity the first day back after the pandemic has ended. The July 5 date was selected for the purpose of planning for the recovery phase of COVID-19. The Ontario Government released the Framework to Reopen Ontario on April 27, 2020, including a phased approach to loosening restrictions. While no specifics were included in that framework, it is anticipated that modifications to operations, including but not limited to, physical changes at facilities, policy updates, and program limitations to ensure the health and safety of staff and the public will need to occur.
This extension date results in the cancellation of the first week of summer camps. Further decisions on the remainder of summer camp programs will be made by June 1 and communicated to participants.
Milton Council and the Town’s Crisis Management team continue to monitor the situation, in consultation with Halton Region Public Health, and reassess the Town’s service changes and operational adjustments. At this time, resources are being directed to the areas of greatest need and the Town will re-open facilities and recreational programs as soon as it is reasonable to do so.
The Town will automatically issue refunds within two to four weeks for any rentals, programs or performances that are impacted by these closures. Questions related to rentals can be sent to facilitybooking@milton.ca . For programs or membership questions, email recreation@milton.ca
The Town continues business in alternative ways and adjusts to the evolving COVID-19 situation. During this extended closure the Town will provide core business to citizens through online services, by phone, or in our community using proper physical distancing measures. We are committed to balancing our service and service levels, along with remaining fiscally responsible.
Milton, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Oakville form Halton Mayors Recovery Coordination Group
The Mayors of Halton’s four municipalities of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville have joined together to form the Halton Mayors Recovery Coordination Group.
Over the coming weeks, they will coordinate and work together to prepare for a successful transition to a post-COVID19 emergency, reopening and recovery, and living with the changes it has brought.
As the response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues, all four communities are maintaining the delivery of critical and essential services while also planning for recovery. While this does not mean that emergency measures put in place by the province, the region or individual cities and towns to slow the spread of COVID-19 are expected to be lifted in the near-term, it is prudent to begin to look ahead so that our plans can be ready to execute when the time comes.
The final phases of the pandemic response include the potential reopening of municipal facilities and the implementation of recovery efforts over the balance of the year. The dates of when recovery might begin are contingent on the continued slowing of the spread of the virus and the province lifting its emergency orders and restrictions, including those related to businesses and physical distancing.
“Plans will be set in motion to move towards the recovery plan. Working together as a Region is important to ensure people can get back to work, businesses can reopen & life returning to where it should be. As always, public health is vitally important! ” said Halton Region Councillor Mike Cluett
All four Mayors have made the commitment to keep each other apprised of decisions being considered in each respective municipality, share best practices, and coordinate when it comes to the recovery planning. They will also ensure a continued close linkage with Halton Region, with the chair Gary Carr as an invited guest to our group when his schedule permits.
Earlier today, Premier Ford and his government announced a road map to getting the Ontario economy back as we get through the COVID19 situation.
While it seems frustrating to many that the plan for reopening the province and in fact the Halton Region having so many broad strokes and generalitites, its important to ensure a phased in approached based on the numbers and direction we get from all the Medical Officers of Health (federal, provincial & local) There isn’t anyone who doesn’t want our country and our region back to work. We all want our restaurants to re-open – getting people back to work – our children back to school and for life to return to what many of us refer to as “normal”
If we go back too quickly and raise the restrictions currently in place – those restrictions that have got us to where we are today – we could easily find ourselves back to stage one. The starting point from over 7 weeks ago is not where we want to be, and if we do make hasty decisions, we could easily find ourselves back there again. The hard work and dedication of Milton and Halton residents, our business owners, our teachers, our volunteers and the heroes on the front line – the police, the fire fighters, the EMS, the doctors, the nurses, the custodians in our hospitals – will be all for nothing. I for one do NOT want to go back to day one. It must be done responsibly and carefully.
It continues to be imperative that we all follow the instructions our Medical Officer of Health gave us from the beginning:
stay home as much as possible, only going out for essentials;
wash hands frequently with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand rub;
clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
avoid all non-essential travel until further notice; and
if you have travelled, it is now mandatory to self-isolate for 14 days from when you return home.
As the weather begins to improve, it will be very tempting to say things like – things are better I can do this or that. It may be tempting to say to yourself, I want to be part of this event over here where there are more people. I urge you to not do this. We still hear stories of people jumping into other cars to take part in events . God Bless you for the intent of wanting to support the healthcare workers, but while these gestures are appreciated, we hear from many front line workers, its BEST to just stay home.
Make your noise every night and ring your bells and cheer from your driveways, but lets do what we need to do and stop this COVID19 virus from spreading any more than it is. Its putting everyone at risk, especially our seniors and vulnerable citizens and the more this is done, the longer it will take to get back to the “normal” we all want so desperately.
As our Halton group works together with the province of Ontario and Government of Canada on a plan to get people back to work, rebooting our economy and more importantly allowing us to show everyone how great our community really is, you will be updated. As it gets closer to the starting point, there will be a plan in place. Lets keep doing what we’re doing, be safe and I’ll be the first one in line to start Milton’s group hug when we can.
