Vaughan puts plan in action to keep businesses running as COVID-19 hits

Vaughan has closed city hall to the public

Yorkregion.com
March 20, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

As restaurants and bars shut down to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the City of Vaughan announced on Tuesday a slew of “temporary” measures it dubbed as the Vaughan Business Action plan, its mayor announced during a special council meeting.

The five-measure plan includes:

1. Support the restocking of store shelves -- by suspending noise by-laws and weight restriction on roads to assist with ensuring stores have items people need.

2. Enhance the movement of goods -- by suspending by-laws restricting the loading and unloading of commercial vehicles, transport trucks, and other vehicles between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. This will allow for 24-hour delivery.

3. Improve business ground-transportation -- by suspending the weight and size of vehicles that can travel on certain roads throughout Vaughan to ensure the sufficient safe supply of goods to stores.

4. Suspend the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) -- to support the travel and tourism industry by not requiring accommodation providors to charge the Municipal Accommodation Tax at Vaughan properties.

Vaughan had approved a four per cent MAT on hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts and motels effective April 1, 2019 as a dedicated source of funding for tourism marketing and promotion.

5. Maintain small business services -- by ensuring, where possible, Small Business and Entrepreneurship frontline services are continued (either online or by phone).

Since people are scrambling to further their social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19, people and businesses alike are expected to feel an economic burn. However, Bevilacqua said the city is going to maintain small business services -- by ensuring, where possible, small business and entrepreneurship front-line services are continued -- either online or by phone.

“I want to thank council for passing a new set of measures that make up the new Vaughan Business Action Plan,” Bevilacqua said. “These are times of uncertainty. But what is certain -- is that we will emerge stronger.”
Before the mayor's unleashing the business plan, the City of Vaughan also announced on Tuesday that its city hall and all other facilities will be closed to the public at least until Monday, April 6, 2020 as Canada takes more strict measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

The measure will take effect Wednesday, March 18 at 8:30 a.m.

“This is the latest action taken by the city to break the chain of transmission of this global,” the city said.

This means that all council, committee and task force meetings up to and including April 9 are cancelled.

The decision comes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced earlier in the day to close down all restaurants and bars, with the exception of takeout and delivery services. The day before, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered the shutting down of Canada’s borders to foreigners, but exempting Americans, who among them are truck drivers needed to keep the country’s economy running.

“The City of Vaughan supports the Ontario government’s recommendation on the closure of private schools, churches and faith-based settings, licensed child care centres and bars and restaurants -- except for those that can offer takeout or delivery,” said Bevilacqua.

Bevilacqua said the city has showed support to its own employees by “encouraging” those “who can work remotely to do so.”