May 19, 2020

As of May 14th, 2020, Boating Ontario is pleased to share the following update;
During today’s announcement, Premier Ford has announced that ‘effective 12:01 AM Saturday, May 16, marinas will be allowed to re-open’. This is great news for our sector and expands on the previous announcements of the launch and delivery phase.

In the news release, Ford declared that,

“As soon as 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2020:

·       Marinas, boat clubs and public boat launches may open for recreational use.”

Curbside pickups remain in place – for the moment. According to the Ontario Government;

“Assuming trends in key public health indicators continue to improve, Ontario’s first stage of reopening will begin on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. and will include:

·       Retail services that are not in shopping malls and have separate street-front entrances with measures in place that can enable physical distancing, such as limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time and booking appointments beforehand or on the spot.”

The recreational marine industry is truly blessed that we have been recognized as a safe social distancing activity for all Ontario families. As an industry, we must ensure that our employees and our customers are practicing safe social distancing protocols within our facilities.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our mission to keep workers in this province safe,” said Minister McNaughton. “Ontario’s labour laws are clear: businesses must protect the health and safety of workers, including against workplace hazards like COVID-19.”

The full news release from the Office of the Premier can be found here.

While marinas and boat clubs are permitted to open for recreational use as of Saturday, the Premier repeatedly stated during his news conference that these businesses are only to open if they feel comfortable and prepared to do so. Please consult with your marina prior to arriving to ensure they are able to accommodate you.

As always if you have questions or seek additional clarity please call the Ontario Provincial hotline at 1 (888) 444-3659.
 
Boating Ontario will continue to advocate on behalf of our members and the recreational boating industry as the situation develops. For more information, visit www.boatingontario.ca or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.