Is it OK to go to the cottage on Victoria Day? Doug Ford says he’ll consult local mayors

Thestar.com
May 4, 2020
Robert Benzie

Buoyed by encouraging trends on COVID-19 cases, Premier Doug Ford says cottagers could be enjoying Victoria Day by the lake.

Ford, who has been imploring people for weeks to avoid descending upon their cottages due to concerns about overwhelming rural health-care facilities and supermarkets, sounded optimistic on Monday.

“So if people are responsible, the numbers continue to go down, we’ll have that conversation,” said the premier, adding he will be holding “a conference call with all the mayors in cottage country” later this week.

“We’re going to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the mayors,” he said, mindful that the “May 24 weekend” which traditionally signals the start of cottage season is just a fortnight away.

“I’ll get their input. I understand what they’re saying, but if people go up to their cottage, bring their own food, don’t go the stores, stay at their cottage … we’ll see where we go from there.”

Some rural mayors have been urging city dwellers to stay away because there have been relatively few coronavirus cases in cottage country, and they fear small-town hospitals could be swamped.

Last month, the medical officer of health in Haldimand Norfolk issued a rare order under the provincial Health Protection and Promotion Act forbidding Lake Erie cottagers from visiting their seasonal homes.

In March, Collingwood council voted in favour of asking the province to restrict Ontarians from travelling outside their home communities during the pandemic amid concerns about the strain on resources in the southern Georgian Bay area.

It has not been illegal for people to visit their cottages -- other than on the Haldimand Norfolk stretch of Lake Erie -- under the state of emergency that has been in effect since March 17.

But the government has been actively encouraging everyone to stay home to stop the spread of the virus.

“There’s only so long you can hold back taxpayers from going to their cottages,” said Ford, noting “in Muskoka, the vast majority of taxes are paid through cottagers.”

“The economy up there the retail stores in cottage country rely on cottages from the beginning of May all the way through to September. That’s their livelihood,” said premier, whose own family cottage is near Huntsville.

“There’s only so long I can hold the big gates back from these people. They’re going to want to go to their vacation property.”

Victoria Day falls on May 18.

Ford emphasized that Ontarians have done “the right thing” by keeping their physical distance and social isolating when possible, but he acknowledged that people want “hope.”

To that end, the premier pledged that he would have more “good news” for businesses being allowed to open up soon.

Garden centres, nurseries, car washes, and auto dealers were allowed to open Monday even though many had been quietly operating already despite the emergency.