On March 30, 2020 Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the Province had extended the March 17 Emergency Declaration under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Emergency declarations under the Act are for two weeks with two-week extensions. Extended also are all associated orders including the closure of non-essential workplaces and limiting social gatherings greater than five people.
In announcing the declaration, the Premier announced new orders to close outdoor recreational amenities such as sports fields, playgrounds, basketball courts, picnic areas, park shelters, community and condo gardens, and others. The order builds on local municipal government action and makes it consistent across Ontario.
Green spaces in parks, trails and ravines can remain open for pass-through access, but visitors must continue to practice social/physical distancing. Enforcement of these closure orders can be carried out at the discretion of municipal by-law officers.
