Our places: Ready, resilient and resourceful

Oct. 20, 2020 1:00 p.m.
​A disciplined, responsible and measured approach to closing and gradually reopening facilities

As the global COVID-19 pandemic persists, the City of Vaughan continues to take a disciplined, responsible and measured approach. The decision to keep several City facilities and amenities closed to the public has been made to safeguard the health and well-being of the entire community. For those that have gradually reopened, the City has adopted Public Health practices mandated by York Region and the Government of Ontario in an effort to prevent further transmission of the virus. These include physical distancing measures, increased sanitization and disinfection, a mandatory mask directive and more.
 
Throughout the global pandemic, Vaughan has been guided by three core values – readiness, resiliency and resourcefulness – which continue to shape ongoing response efforts. During a recent meeting of the City's Ready, Resilient and Resourceful (RRR) Committee of Council, one of the focuses was on the continued closures and recent reopenings of “our places.”
 
CITY FACILITIES AND AMENITIES
 
Public health and safety has guided decision-making at the City. In fact, Vaughan was the first city in Ontario and the first municipality in York Region to declare a state of emergency. In addition, on Aug. 5, the City announced most City facilities – including Vaughan City Hall and the Joint Operations Centre – will remain closed to the public until the new year at the earliest in response to COVID-19. While closures are in effect, citizens are also strongly urged to remain vigilant if visiting recently reopened facilities and amenities.
 
At this time, the following facilities remain closed:
  • Vaughan City Hall
  • City Playhouse Theatre
  • Community centres, including all fitness centres (permits required for arena access and pre-registration required for pools)
  • Joint Operations Centre
  • Vaughan Animal Shelter (except by appointment, for adoption purposes only)
  • Vaughan Public Libraries (with the exception of Bathurst Clark Resource Library, Civic Centre Resource Library and Pierre Berton Resource Library) 
The following amenities have reopened:
  • Arenas (by permit only)
  • Indoor pools (by registration only)
  • Off-leash dog park
  • Outdoor basketball courts
  • Outdoor bocce courts
  • Outdoor exercise equipment
  • Outdoor volleyball courts
  • Park benches
  • Park public washrooms
  • Parking lots in parks
  • Picnic tables and gazebos
  • Playgrounds
  • Premium/artificial fields and diamonds (by permit only)
  • Skateboard parks
  • Sports fields and baseball diamonds
  • Squash courts (by appointment only)
  • Tennis courts
  • Trails 
  • Vaughan Public Libraries (Bathurst Clark Resource Library, Civic Centre Resource Library and Pierre Berton Resource Library only) 
When using reopened amenities, residents must: stay at least two metres (approximately six feet) away from others not in their household; not share play equipment such as tennis balls and racquets; and keep dogs on a leash unless it is a designated off-leash area. Playgrounds are neither supervised nor sanitized and require everyone to take precautions.
 
All park and amenity 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. 
 
BUSINESS REINTEGRATION PLAN
 
To plan for the future, the City has created a Business Reintegration Plan in accordance with protocols from York Region Public Health and the Government of Ontario. The plan outlines a three-phased approach for preparing to bring more staff back into City facilities in the future; it provides clear direction and practices to ensure the eventual transition is both safe and efficient. These include administrative policies; cleaning and disinfecting measures; the use of personal protective equipment; workplace layout; and physical distancing protocols, among others.
 
The mandate of the RRR Committee of Council is to report on the City’s ongoing response efforts to the global COVID-19 pandemic. At the second RRR committee meeting on Sept. 29, discussions focused on updates and actions taken by City staff in the following categories: our people, our places, our services, our finances, our economy and our communications. Next week, the City will share additional information about “our services.”
 
QUOTE
 
“From the onset of our battle with COVID-19, the City of Vaughan has continued to use every tool in its arsenal to combat the virus. We have maintained a disciplined, responsible and measured approach to closing facilities and re-thinking our traditional modes of operation. We continue to employ these methods towards our reopening process. The City has developed a risk model informed by Vaughan-specific data to determine what facilities should remain closed and when they should reopen – with public safety guiding all our decision-making. In August, I announced that most of Vaughan’s public facilities, including City Hall, will remain closed until Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 and potentially beyond. This decision was given careful consideration, and, as we find ourselves in the second wave of this virus, I remain confident it was the right one. This experience has taught us that by being flexible, innovative and focused, success can be achieved in our fight against COVID-19. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the citizens of Vaughan for continuing to follow the advice of Public Health officials and for doing their part to ensure we emerge stronger, together.”
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
 
QUICK FACTS
 
  • On March 17, Vaughan became the first city in Ontario and the first municipality in York Region to declare a state of emergency.
  • Unanimously endorsed by Council during the May 27 Council Meeting, the mandate of the RRR Committee is to report on the City’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts and plan for Vaughan’s post-pandemic future. The RRR Committee continues to work closely with members of Vaughan’s administration to identify immediate and long-term impacts of this global pandemic on City business and plan for its continued success. 
  • Throughout the pandemic, the City of Vaughan has ensured quality services are delivered for families, businesses and all citizens. The priority remains the health, safety and well-being of everyone that lives and works in the community.
  • 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. Visit vaughan.ca/ReopeningVaughan for more information on ongoing services, recent reopenings, continued closures and programs that have been impacted by the virus.
  • 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. 
LEARN MORE
 
  • City of Vaughan COVID-19 webpage
  • Vaughan moves into a modified Stage 2: Oct. 16 news release
  • Ready, Resilient and Resourceful: Oct. 5 news release
  • Our people: Oct. 13 news release
  • Ready, Resilient and Resourceful Committee: Sept. 29 staff report
  • Ready, Resilient and Resourceful Committee: Sept. 29 meeting agenda
  • Ready. Resilient. Resourceful: Sept. 29 presentation
  • Mayor Bevilacqua establishes Ready, Resilient and Resourceful Committee: May 17 statement
  • Mayor Bevilacqua launches the new Ready, Resilient and Resourceful Committee: June 23 statement
  • York Region COVID-19 webpage  
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