Newmarket announces plans to reopen programs amid COVID-19 red zone, cut services

Garbage limit reverts to three bags, tree planting slashed by 50 per cent, grass cutting reduced

Yorkregion.com
March 2, 2021
Lisa Queen

Following York Region moving into the COVID-19 red zone, Newmarket announced Feb. 26 plans to begin reopening facilities.

The following programs will reopen with strict health and safety measures in place:

Pools

The Magna Centre pool will reopen March 8. Patrons will be required to register for their swim session in advance. Reservations can be booked one day in advance at 9 a.m. at play.newmarket.ca.

The outdoor Gorman Pool will reopen this season. More details will be provided closer to the reopening date.

The pool at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex will remain closed until further notice. The decision to potentially reopen the facility will be revisited in May.

Fitness Centre at the Magna Centre

The centre will reopen March 8. Reservations are required. Residents can register for time slot one day in advance at of 9 a.m. at play.newmarket.ca.

Ice Rinks

Two rinks at the Magna Centre are now available and a third rink will be available at the Magna Centre beginning the week of March 1. The town is currently working on plans to add a fourth rink in the near future.

Summer camps and special events

The town is currently exploring options to provide modified summer camps and special events to the community. Camp registration is anticipated to begin in May. Additional details will be communicated as plans are finalized.

Newmarket Public Library

The library is gradually reopening for in-person services on March 16 with strict health and safety measures in place. Access to public computer workstations will be permitted for an hour at a time. In-person membership services for issuing and renewing library cards will also be available. As health restrictions ease, more services will be added. For more information, visit newmarketpl.ca

Other outdoor recreation amenities

Outdoor recreation activities that are currently open such as skating at Riverwalk Commons, pickleball at Quaker Park and tennis at the Keith Davis Tennis Centre -- outdoor will remain open with existing health and safety measures in place.

Service cuts to limit the financial impact of COVID-19

In an effort to limit the financial impacts of COVID-19, the town is making the following cuts, expected to save $500,000 to $600,000 this year:

Reverting back to the three-bag garbage limit as of April 6.

At the beginning of the pandemic a temporary five-garbage bag limit was put in place to assist residents who were staying at home. Garbage bag tags are available for purchase if additional bags/items are required. For more information visit newmarket.ca/garbagecollection

Reducing tree plantings this year by 50 per cent

Last year, the town planted more than 500 trees to help expand Newmarket’s tree canopy and is well within the goals set out in the Urban Forestry Management Plan.

The town will reduce tree planting this year by 50 per cent to assist with the financial impact of COVID-19. The reduction in tree planting will not affect tree plantings for trees that were previously removed and need to be replanted.

Reducing the grass cutting frequency and catch basin cleaning

Grass cutting will take place once every 10 working days and open spaces and sport fields will take place once every five working days.

“The main goal when making these service level decisions was to do everything that we can to support physical activity for youth and the community,” Mayor John Taylor said in a statement.

“We’ve had to make some tough choices in order to find some savings but at the end of the day, the Town is committed to providing much-needed recreational options and modified events that we can all enjoy safely. We will continue to seek support from other levels of government to limit the financial impacts of COVID-19 as much as possible.”

For more information on COVID-19 in Newmarket, visit newmarket.ca/covid19.

For information on what is open and what is closed in Newmarket, visit newmarket.ca/reopen.