Vaughan closes skating rinks, toboggan hill and dog parks to strengthen stay-at-home order

After Georgina, Vaughan makes this move

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 18, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

To heed the provincial stay-at-home order, Vaughan announced on the morning of Friday, Jan. 15 that it’s closing all of its skating rinks, toboggan hill and dog parks, effective as of the same day.

This has made Vaughan the second York Region municipality after Georgina. The latter closed its natural outdoor skating rink and the town-maintained toboggan hill at the ROC on Jan. 14.

Vaughan’s park amenities, such as playgrounds, were closed for the season in November 2020. “This is part of the city’s standard annual operations,” the city told yorkregion.com.

The Friday morning decision is impacting all of the skating rinks at Chancellor Community Centre, Dufferin Clark Community Centre, Father E. Bulfon Community Centre, Garnet A. Williams Community Centre and Vellore Village Community Centre, as well as the toboggan hill at North Maple Regional Park and the dog park at 299 Racco Pkwy.

With the stay-at-home order allowing outdoor exercise, trails will “remain available,” but the public is “reminded to follow all public health guidelines -- including practising physical distancing -- when visiting them,” the city said.

Most of the city’s facilities, including Vaughan City Hall and the Joint Operations Centre, remain closed until June 2021 at the earliest.

As of 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the last seven days in York Region is 2,268.

There are 152 hospitalizations and 21 people in ICU units.

In Vaughan specifically, there have been 895 new cases in the last seven days, leading to 59 hospitalizations and 9 people in ICU units.