Have a blast at City parks this summer – safely

Summer is just around the corner – make plans to soak up the sun at the City of Vaughan’s parks and outdoor amenities! When visiting, remember to stay vigilant and follow protocols designed to help protect the entire community while enjoying tennis, bocce and basketball courts, skateboard parks, splashpads, playgrounds, sports fields, and more. 

Here are some safety protocols to keep in mind when visiting: 

• Continue to practise physical distancing by keeping a safe distance of at least two metres (six feet) from others. Under Step 1 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen, outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 people.
• Do not share equipment, including tennis racquets, skateboards or personal water bottles.
• Sneeze and cough into your sleeve or a tissue to prevent further transmission of germs.
• Wash your hands with soap and water and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after visiting parks – playgrounds and splashpads are not sanitized.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth when using the amenities.
• Do not visit a park or amenity if you are not feeling well. 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.

As a friendly reminder, pre-registration is required to use the Thornhill outdoor pool and can be done at vaughan.perfectmind.com. The pool is operating at reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing and traffic-flow control can be maintained.  Walk-ins are not permitted. Residents can register four days and two hours in advance of any scheduled swim. Non-residents can register one day and two hours in advance of any scheduled swim. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/swim.

The City has taken a disciplined, responsible and measured approach to implement preventive measures to protect citizens and staff from COVID-19 as amenities reopen safely. On this front, the City's By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services department, in partnership with Public Health officials, York Regional Police and other levels of government, remains at the forefront of applying and enforcing the provincial regulations passed under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA), the directions of the Medical Officer of Health and the City’s COVID-19 Emergency Measures By-law. To remain vigilant in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 transmissions, enforcement and education efforts have been increased across the city. There will be a heightened by-law enforcement presence in the community at reopened amenities.

While the City continues its city-building efforts, select local parks are undergoing repairs and enhancements. For the safety of everyone, citizens are reminded not to trespass on construction sites or areas blocked off for maintenance.

Any violations of safety protocols can be reported to Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. Calls of this nature will be referred to the City's By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services department for investigation.

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

For additional information and resources on COVID-19, visit York Region's website at york.ca/COVID19.  

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