Be smart, protect yourself when visiting recently opened facilities

​Disciplined, measured and responsible openings 

Vaughan continues to take a disciplined, responsible and measured approach to reopening the city. As some restrictions are lifted, other precautionary measures remain in place to protect everyone in the community from further transmission of COVID-19. Here is an update on ongoing services, what is reopening and programs that continue to be impacted by the virus.   

ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Essential services remain intact, including fire and emergency response, waste collection, water/wastewater services, by-law and enforcement services, and the Access Vaughan contact centre at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. 

PARK AMENITIES

Open park amenities include public tennis courts, skateboard parks, the dog park, parking lots, sports fields, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, bocce courts, picnic tables, benches, gazebos and trails. When using reopened amenities, residents must stay at least two metres (approximately six feet) away from others who do not live in their home, avoid congregating in groups of more than 10 people and not share play equipment such as tennis balls and racquets. Splashpads and public washrooms are reopening on Friday, June 26. 

All other park amenities – including playgrounds, outdoor exercise equipment, premium/artificial fields and diamonds and the outdoor pool – will remain closed to the public until further notice. 

All park violations can be reported to Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. Reports of this nature will be referred to the City's By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services department for investigation. Fines in the amount of $105 to $400 under the Parks By-law and $500 to $100,000 under the Emergency Measures By-law may be laid.  

EVENTS

Some events are resuming virtually, including:

• the City’s first-ever virtual Canada Day celebration. Headlined by Barenaked Ladies, the event will be broadcast live on Wednesday, July 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at vaughan.ca/CanadaDay.
• Vaughan Public Libraries’ first-ever Virtual Science Fair. The theme is Staying Happy and Healthy @Home for children in Grades 2 to 12. Those interested in participating can submit a video, an animation or invent something new until Tuesday, June 30. For more information on how to enter, visit vaughanpl.info/ScienceFair. 
• Vaughan’s Curb Appeal program. To nominate someone who demonstrates exceptional pride and effort in the maintenance of their property, email curbappeal@vaughan.ca by Sunday, July 5.
• Nominations for the 2020 Order of Vaughan. Nominate a deserving individual for the highest honour the City may bestow by Wednesday, Sept. 30. An official investiture ceremony will be announced at a later date. 

All other upcoming in-person events have been postponed or cancelled, including the annual Concerts in the Park series and summer Curbside Giveaway days. Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service fire station tours are also cancelled until further notice. For a complete list of events no longer taking place, visit vaughan.ca/COVID19. Also, continue to check the Event Calendar webpage at vaughan.ca for the latest updates about non-City-led event cancellations. 

RECREATION SERVICES

Registration has now opened for modified on-site summer camp programs for kids from Monday, July 20 to Friday, Sept 4. In-person programming will feature daily activities geared toward children aged six to 12, including outdoor and nature-based play, games, arts and crafts and special-themed days. For more information on camp programing or guidelines, visit vaughan.ca/camps. 

Virtual summer camps also continue. Taking place from Monday, July 6 to Friday, Sept. 4, the Virtual Summer Adventures features weekly camps and daily activities for people of all ages, from preschool to older adults. Family lessons for parents and children to participate in together are available as well. Visit vaughan.ca/RecOnline for registration and more information. 

Frequent enhancements are also made to the department’s new webpage featuring virtual recreation resources for all ages, abilities and areas of interest. Popular programming includes:

• Vaughan Playschool educational reading, writing, math and science worksheets for children aged three to five years old.
• easy-to-follow at-home workouts from Vaughan Fitness instructors, featured on Recreation Services’ Instagram TV. Full-length classes are also posted to the Recreation Vaughan YouTube channel.
• acting, dancing and singing with the City Playhouse Theatre crew.
• learning first-aid basics from certified Vaughan lifeguards.
• general activities such as cooking, arts and crafts, colouring and more. 

Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) has cancelled all in-library programs until January 2021, including the Ansley Grove Library summer camp. However, annual summer reading programs – including the TD Summer Reading Club and the Teen Summer Reading Challenge – have been enhanced and optimized for at-home, online participation. Registration for the Summer Reading Club is now open. In addition, VPL is offering a fully digital public library service to engage and educate residents of all ages. The new web hub features a variety of free online resources, including eBooks and audiobooks, films and television programs, music streaming services, e-learning courses, bi-lingual materials and more. Further content, such as virtual storytime, is available daily on VPL’s Instagram. 

The Curbside Pickup program also continues at Bathurst Clark Resource Library, Civic Centre Resource Library and Pierre Berton Resource Library. Reserve books and arrange a pickup date at vaughanpl.info/curbside. 

The Library has also made the decision to eliminate overdue fines (PDF) which are charged for the late return of library materials – no future overdue fines will be applied and all overdue fines currently on record will be forgiven. 

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Electronic-participation Committee of the Whole and Council meetings continue in June and July. Upcoming agendas can be viewed at vaughan.ca/CouncilMeetings. While Vaughan City Hall remains closed to the public, visit vaughan.ca/HaveYourSay to learn more about how to participate virtually, including via live Skype or telephone deputations, email or written communications and tuning in to the live broadcast at vaughan.ca/LiveCouncil. 

BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

By-law officers continue to operate, patrol and respond to calls on a priority basis. The City’s Emergency Measures By-law – which provides authority to further enforce social and physical distancing measures – is also being actively enforced. Failure to comply with the new by-law is an offence and subject to fines ranging from $500 to $100,000. 

Local eating establishments and banquet halls are now temporarily able to expand or establish additional patios, while maintaining physical distancing – this is the first-ever directive issued by Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua under the City’s Emergency Measures By-law. Businesses can begin the process to do this by completing an online registration form. 

Event, filming and lottery permits will not be issued at this time. A grace period of 90 days has been established for business licence renewals. 

VAUGHAN ANIMAL SERVICES

Vaughan Animal Services continues to serve Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King Township communities. Limited access into the Vaughan Animal Shelter is permitted for adoption and pet recovery services by appointment only. Book your appointment by contacting 905-832-2281 or animal.services@vaughan.ca.  

PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES

Cleanup efforts are underway. These include street sweeping, litter pickup, boulevard maintenance, grass cutting, tree inspections and pruning, pavement marking and water and wastewater services. 

Adjustments have been made to some regularly scheduled summer public works operations. Services that are delayed or reduced include tree planting and maintenance, weeding and mulching, road and sidewalk repair, replacement or addition of streetlight and traffic signals, implementation of new traffic operations and road safety measures, and water trailer event bookings. 

WASTE COLLECTIONS

Waste collection services have returned to normal operations, as scheduled in the 2020 Waste Calendar (PDF). Residents can receive customized notifications about their collections by downloading the Recycle Coach mobile app. 

The second week of June Double-Up Days is scheduled for the week of June 23, on regular garbage days. Residents can place up to six items of garbage, no tags required. To ensure that waste is collected, be sure to comply with the safe set out requirements at vaughan.ca/waste. Materials that do not comply will be tagged and left behind. 

INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER AND LOBBYIST REGISTRAR

The Office of the Integrity Commissioner and Lobbyist Registrar will not be taking in-person meetings while Vaughan City Hall remains closed. To book a virtual meeting, email integrity.commissioner@vaughan.ca or call 905-832-2281, ext. 8314 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.  

BUSINESS SUPPORTS

Virtual programs and new services are being offered to further support local businesses, including:

• the new Digital Boost Vaughan Small Business Resiliency Program, which provides free training and mentorship to help local businesses adapt to the changing environment.
• the Open for Business online directory, which lists essential services and businesses that remain open. Vaughan businesses can apply through this online form to be included in the initiative led by By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services.
• Economic and Cultural Development services such as virtual consulting, #ShopVaughanLocal campaign and the newly launched vaughanbusiness.ca website. 

OTHER PROGRAMS FOR CITIZENS

Many services continue to be offered online or via telephone, including:

• free flower seed packets for Vaughan residents to create pollinator-friendly outdoor spaces in their yards. Email environment@vaughan.ca with full name and mailing address to claim a packet, while quantities last. Kid-friendly pollinator activities are also available and include a scavenger hunt, crossword puzzle and Whose Home? interactive game.
• visitvaughan.ca – a new visitor website that offers an exploration of all there is to see and do in Vaughan. The “explore online now, visit later” platform, developed in partnership with the Tourism Vaughan Corporation and Central Counties Tourism, offers interactive content, including museum tours, cooking lessons, educational webinars, roller-coaster rides and more.
• the City’s corporate art gallery on Flickr, which currently houses 78 permanent acquisitions of art from local and GTA-based artists.
• the Waste-less Virtual Visits program for one-on-one video coaching on how to divert more materials into blue and green bins. Book a session by contacting 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca.
• the purchase of garbage tags, which can be facilitated over the phone while the City’s Joint Operations Centre remains closed by calling Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.
• the online pet licensing platform for purchases of numbered City tags. Tags must be purchased within 30 days of acquiring a new dog or cat.
• online payments of administrative monetary penalties, such as parking tickets, via PayVaughanTicket.com. To arrange an alternative method of payment or schedule a dispute appointment, call 905-832-2281 within 15 days of receiving it. Scheduled disputes are being conducted over the phone until further notice.
• the Service Vaughan reporting tool at vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan for non-emergency service requests about garbage, roads, traffic lights and more.

the digital permitting portal at vaughan.ca/PermitPortal for citizens and building industry professionals to apply, track and pay for permits online. Options have also been expanded to include permits for pools and grading for sheds, home additions and more – see vaughan.ca/DEPermits

LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION? 

For more information on the City’s latest response efforts, visit vaughan.ca/COVID19 or contact Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. To receive updates as they are released, sign up for the City Update eNewsletter at vaughan.ca/CityUpdate and follow the City’s official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels. 

Those who feel unwell, and believe they have symptoms related to COVID-19, should contact York Region Public Health at 1-800-361-5653 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. For additional information and resources on COVID-19, including physical distancing tips and advice from Public Health officials, visit York Region's website at york.ca/COVID19. 

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