As Ontario eases restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The City of Toronto is opening more programs to help Torontonians get outside safely.
City of Toronto to offer CampTO programs starting July 13
June 10, 2020 – The City of Toronto will begin to offer summer camps across the city starting on July 13 as part of its CampTO initiative, following the Province of Ontario announcement that summer day camps can operate during the Province’s Stage 2 reopening.
CampTO will offer more than 32,000 registered camp spaces for children between the ages of 6 and 12, over eight weeks of camps at approximately 150 locations across the city.
CampTO will offer traditional day camp experiences, including dance, drama, music, arts and crafts and active games. In addition to camps offered at Parks, Forestry and Recreation locations, CampTO will also be offered at six Toronto History Museum sites and one City art centre.
To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, CampTO programs will meet health guidelines designed in consultation with Toronto Public Health and in alignment with provincial health guidelines for day camps. Guidelines include lower ratios and capacity, physical distancing, mandatory health screening and enhanced facility cleaning.
Programs will be available for viewing on Saturday, June 13 at http://www.toronto.ca/camps.
Registration for CampTO will take place beginning at 7 a.m. on:
• Wednesday, June 24 for Etobicoke/York and Scarborough districts
• Thursday, June 25 for Toronto/East York, West Toronto/York and North York districts
The quickest and easiest way to register is online at efun.toronto.ca. Phone registration will also be available at 416-396-7378. As Civic Centres and community recreation facilities remain closed, in-person registration will not be available.
Residents can call 416-396-7378 Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for help preparing for registration. Extended hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 7p.m. will be offered on June 22 and 23.
Information on free programs and subsidies for recreation programs is available at http://www.toronto.ca/lowcostrecreation.
Summer camps provide children and youth with important opportunities for social interaction, and parents and caregivers with necessary childcare. The City’s CampTO program can provide needed respite for children and parents, during the COVID-19 pandemic. City summer camps also provide employment opportunities for many young people across Toronto.
Approximately 68,000 summer camp registrations were cancelled in mid-May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
City of Toronto launches SwimTO plan to help Torontonians cool down this summer
June 10, 2020 – Today, Mayor John Tory announced SwimTO – a quick-start program that will expedite the opening of the City’s beaches, outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads. City staff are preparing now so that outdoor aquatic amenities can be opened when Toronto enters Stage 2, to help people cool down during hot summer temperatures.
The plan will help ensure that all Torontonians can safely access outdoor aquatic recreation and cool down during hot summer temperatures as Toronto begins to reopen. With the approach of hot summer weather and the extended closure of many indoor public spaces, it’s vital that Torontonians to have opportunities to cool down outdoors. When permitted, the City plans to open its outdoor aquatic amenities to prevent heat related-illnesses while continuing to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Toronto beaches have remained open in the same way green spaces in parks have been open. Beaches are not closed under Province of Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the SwimTO plan, lifeguards will return to six of Toronto’s swimming beaches on Monday, June 22. Lifeguards will supervise each location daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Swimming without the supervision of a lifeguard or outside designated swim areas is not recommended. The City will provide lifeguard supervision on swimming beaches coupled with comprehensive crowd management. Beach water quality testing and analysis will be completed by Toronto Public Health to ensure people can swim safely at Toronto beaches.
The six swimming beaches opening on June 22 are:
• Bluffer’s Park Beach (Blue Flag)
• Cherry/Clarke Beach (Blue Flag)
• Kew-Balmy Beach (Blue Flag)
• Marie Curtis Park East Beach
• Sunnyside Beach
• Woodbine Beach (Blue Flag)
The four Toronto Island Park beaches will open for swimming following the resumption of ferry service. Rouge Valley Beach is currently inaccessible, and a supervised swim program will not operate there.
Right now, outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads remain closed due to provincial orders and public health recommendations. City staff are preparing now so that we can act quickly to open outdoor aquatic amenities following the amendment of the Province’s orders and Toronto’s participation in Ontario’s Stage 2 reopening.
Significant work is underway to expedite the opening of outdoor pools, splash pads and wading pools including:
• hiring and training staff
• turning water on and filling outdoor pools
• turning on mechanical and filtration systems
• creating signage that clarifies expectations for physical distancing and hygiene
• establishing health guidelines that will ensure these amenities can be operational as soon as possible after they are permitted.
As part of the SwimTO plan, people can expect to visit any of the City’s 140 splashpads within a week of being permitted to open. Outdoor pools and wading pools would follow thereafter.
It is expected that capacity at outdoor pools will be significantly reduced. Staff are awaiting provincial guidelines and will prioritize leisure swims throughout the day in order to give as many swimmers as possible the opportunity to cool off.
While visiting a beach or park, people must practise physical distancing and avoid crowding. Under the City’s physical distancing bylaw, any two people who don’t live together, who fail to keep two metres of distance between them in a City park or public square, can receive a $1,000 ticket. Under the Province’s Emergency Order, a social gathering or organized public event of more than 10 people is prohibited, unless everyone gathered together lives in the same household.
Toronto beaches and parks provide many opportunities for aquatic recreation, escaping the summer heat and enjoying the calming effect of nature. Toronto boasts some of the best swimming beaches around. Eight of Toronto’s 11 beaches have been awarded Blue Flag certification, meeting high standards for water quality, environmental management as well as education, safety and services. These beaches are perfect for taking a swim during the hot summer months. More information about Blue Flag certification is available at https://www.toronto.ca/health/swimsafe/beaches_blueflag.htm.
More information on Toronto beaches and swimming in the city is available at www.toronto.ca/beaches and www.toronto.ca/swim.
ActiveTO delivers 65 kilometres of Quiet Streets along 32 neighbourhood routes across Toronto
June 10, 2020 – Mayor John Tory announced today that the City of Toronto, through ActiveTO, has now delivered 65 kilometres of Quiet Streets along 32 neighbourhood routes across Toronto.
Quiet Streets are shared space to allow residents to maintain physical distancing, while getting around on neighbourhood streets. Signage and temporary barricades are placed at intersections to encourage slow, local vehicle access only so the roadway can be a shared space that welcomes people who walk, run or bike as an alternative to riding transit. Parking and drop off areas are not impacted and City services, such as waste collection and emergency access, continue as normal. Quiet Street locations were prioritized based on several factors including population density, equity and access, access to greenspace, nearby attractions, traffic volumes and other considerations.
Staff have been actively monitoring and adapting all locations, based on neighbourhood use, and have been returning to locations to address on-street issues as they arise. This may include work such as adjusting the size and placement of temporary barriers and reviewing the types of barriers to support safety as well as space for on-street parking. A survey for people who use Quiet Streets is planned to help the City evaluate the effectiveness of existing locations.
The Quiet Streets program was officially launched on May 14 and was initially anticipated that approximately 57 kilometres would be installed. In just over three weeks, all planned and approved locations are now in place and, thanks to feedback from councillors and the public, an additional eight kilometres of Quiet Streets were added.
ActiveTO Major Road Closures this weekend:
More than 10 kilometres of ActiveTO Major Roads will again be closed this weekend, from Saturday, June 13 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, June 14 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.
Vehicle access on these sections of major roads will not be permitted to allow for walking, running and biking. The City will actively manage traffic during these closures through signal timing adjustments on adjacent routes and roadway signage to alert drivers. Motorists who normally travel these roads on weekends should plan alternate routes. Those expecting to use the major road closures to cycle, run or walk should access them by bike or as a pedestrian, since nearby parking is limited and site parking is not provided.
Major road closures are installed adjacent to City trails to make space for people, alleviate weekend and holiday crowding, and ensure there is room to be physically active and support physical distancing. These closures continue to happen on a trial basis and staff are actively monitoring nearby routes and adjusting the closures as necessary.
ActiveTO Cycling Network update:
Toronto City Council has also approved the ActiveTO cycling network plan. It’s part of the largest expansion of Toronto’s on-street bike network ever in one year and will include a total of about 40 kilometres of new cycling routes for 2020.
The cycling network is being expanded quickly through temporary installations by repurposing curb lanes along several key corridors. The first kilometre of new, safe temporary bikeway was installed last week along Dundas Street East, between Sackville Street and Broadview Avenue. The next locations that staff are immediately planning for are along University Avenue/Queen’s Park Crescent, between Adelaide Street West and Bloor Street West, on Bayview Avenue between River Street and Rosedale Valley Road, and on Bloor Street, between Avenue Road and Sherbourne Street.
The ActiveTO program was developed by Toronto Public Health and Transportation Services to provide more space for people to be physically active and improve physical distancing as part of the City’s restart and recovery in the wake of COVID-19. All ActiveTO initiatives have been created to be adaptable, flexible and temporary.
More information on ActiveTO, including an online map of all locations, is available at http://www.toronto.ca/activeTO.
CurbTO update:
The CurbTO program continues to immediately address locations where there is sidewalk crowding and temporary parking concerns around businesses. To date, 82 pedestrian curb lane zones have been installed, 61 temporary parking pick-up zones, and five locations have had sidewalks widened into the curb lane.
Details about CurbTO, including a new map and links to the business application are at http://www.toronto.ca/curbTO.
Source: www.toronto.ca/home/media-room/news-releases-media-advisories/