THUNDER BAY — The province-wide lockdown announced by Premier Doug Ford will have an impact on numerous facilities operated by the City of Thunder Bay.
In Northern Ontario, the lockdown will last 14 days.
The closure of indoor and outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities in Thunder Bay will be implemented on December 26 and will last until Jan. 9, 2021.
The list includes the Canada Games Complex, the Churchill pool (Volunteer Pool is closed for renovations), all indoor arenas, the older adult centres at 55 Plus on River Street and at the West Arthur Community Centre, all community centres, the Kinsmen Youth Centre, the Baggage Building Arts Centre and the Water Garden Pavilion.
At the older adult centres, takeout food service (curbside pickup) will continue for seniors' food security.
The rink at Prince Arthur's Landing and other outdoor rinks, as well as trails, will remain open. The city is reminding residents about the need to maintain social distancing when using these facilities.
City Hall and Victoriaville will remain closed, with service available through appointment bookings.
Although garbage collection and transit service will continue, transit customers are asked to avoid all non-essential travel, and to wear masks when travel is required.
City Manager Norm Gale said the full impact of the lockdown on city facilities wouldn't be known until city officials had a chance Monday night or Tuesday to review the details of the provincial order.
Additional information may be provided to the public later, but Gale said "The best comparator is to look at what happened in the first lockdown in April. It's widespread, and it's going to impact a lot of things."
He said the timing of Ford's announcement, and how quickly it came down, was a surprise.
However, the city administration wasn't caught off guard, as it has been working on various contingency plans for some time.
"We gave city council a memorandum two weeks ago that gave information on what a sliding scale of versions of lockdown would look like."
Gale added that he hopes members of the public continue to follow safe practices in any interactions with city employees.
"The people who work for the city have pride in delivering services. It's important to respect health and safety, respect physical distancing, and have an environment of mutual respect where services can be delivered, and received, in a way that keeps everybody safe, and everybody productive."
In a prepared statement, Mayor Bill Mauro called on Thunder Bay residents to "pull together as a community" to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
"We need everyone to stay home to the extent possible, except for essential requirements...I Implore everyone to gather only with your household and avoid travel unless absolutely essential," Mauro said.
He also asked city residents to continue to support local small businesses and restaurants as much as possible during the lockdown.
