Georgina park, beach reopening with reduced capacity

'By opening one beach and waterfront park we will be able to see if the rules will be respected,' mayor says

Newmarkettoday.ca
July 16, 2020

Continuing with its staged approach to reopening, effective July 20, 2020, the Town of Georgina is reopening De La Salle Park and beach with reduced capacity and new restrictions.

“While we are reopening one of our beaches, it does not mean its ‘back to the beach as usual.’ By delaying our reopening, we have had an opportunity to observe other lakeside communities and incorporate their successes into our plan,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk. “By opening one beach and waterfront park we will be able to see if the rules will be respected.

"From there, if we are satisfied that the safety precautions we have implemented are being followed, we will consider opening other beaches in the future. The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has reviewed this regularly, consulting with public health officials on how to do this safely. We are moving forward with a plan and if we don’t receive compliance, we will shut it down.”

The beach and park will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with Town staff on site to monitor and control the number of users permitted in the park. On weekends, police officers will be on site to monitor and support Town Staff where needed and assist with traffic control. Painted social circles will be placed on the park grass directing visitors to maintain physical distancing. Once the park has reached the maximum safe capacity, further access into the park will be restricted.

To limit crowds at the beach and park, available parking spaces have been reduced. Once parking lots reach capacity, the parking lots will be closed.

Georgina residents with town-issued parking passes are directed to the chapel building parking lot accessible from Lake Drive. General parking is available in the vehicle parking lots accessible from Metro Road. Residents are reminded to obtain their 2020 resident parking pass, which is now available online at georgina.ca/ParkingPass. In the interim, the Town will continue to accept 2019 resident parking passes.

For nearby residents who walk to the beach, entry points will be at the Chapel parking lot or through the main parking lot entrance at Metro Road. Reminder, once capacity is reached, the park will be closed to any additional guests (vehicular or walking) to ensure physical distancing is maintained.

For access onto the beach, visitors will be using the tunnel as a single entrance point and the staircase east of the ramp as the single exit. Visitors who will require accessibility access, the ramp will be made available for both entry and exit with access to the Mobi mat.

Physical distancing of two metres will also be required on the sand and in the water and capacity will be monitored. The beach will be for active recreation use with swimming and water activities only. Visitors will not be able to sit or lounge on the beach, but can do so in the park. Beach users are encouraged to enjoy the water, and share the area responsibly with all other users. Coolers, chairs, umbrellas and canopies are not allowed on the beach but can be used in the park. Barbecues are not allowed in the park or on the beach.

A traffic plan has been established to support traffic flow in the area, also incorporating additional safety precautions. Motorists are reminded that the three-hour on-street parking restrictions will be enforced and to be aware of parking signage that indicates no parking or stopping on nearby streets. All roads need to be kept clear to allow safe access for emergency vehicles.

The public washrooms will be open and porta-pottys will be added to the site, both receiving daily maintenance.

As De La Salle Beach and Waterfront Park reopens with limited capacity, everyone is reminded to use at your own risk. Failure to follow health and safety guidelines could result in the beach and park being closed down.

Please view the FAQ’s on the opening of De La Salle Park and beach for more info.

For the latest information, news and updates on COVID-19 in Georgina, visit georgina.ca/COVID-19.