'This is your final warning' Stouffville to start fining residents who gather in parks, public places

Together with York Regional Police, the town will start laying charges against those who do not abide by physical distancing

Yorkregion.com
April 6, 2020
Amanda Persico

Whitchurch-Stouffville is taking a stern stance against residents not abiding by the province’s strict physical-distancing orders.

Together with York Regional Police, the town will start laying charges against those who do not practice social distancing, especially in public areas and parks.

For a complete list of Whitchurch-Stouffville closures related to coronavirus, click here.
Police and town bylaw officers will now begin to issue fines ranging from $300 to $5,000 to repeating offenders.

“It is unfortunate that we have to do this, but some people are still not listening,” said Mayor Iain Lovatt, in a town issued statement.

“If people feel they are invincible, and that they may not be contributing to the spread of COVID-19, they are wrong. This is your final warning, Stouffville.”

On March 30, the province ordered all outdoor public recreation amenities to be closed and limited the size of public gatherings to five people who are not immediate family.

The town has received a number of complaints from residents who see groups of people ignoring the public order and restriction, Lovatt said.

“We are talking about people’s lives,” he added.

Effective immediately, the town will actively enforce the provincial order with fines ranging between $300 and $5,000.

“Just this week, we have chased numerous people out of closed parks and (are) getting significant pushback,” Lovatt said. “If we don’t take a stance, this will escalate on us with the weather warming up.”

Residents are encouraged to call the YRP non-emergency line at 1-866-876-5423 to report physical distancing violations, if they see people in town parks or congregating in groups of five or more.