Leamington gives update on its municipal facilities

LEAMINGTON — As of Tuesday, February 16, the Municipality of Leamington and the rest of Windsor-Essex County moved to the Red–Control Level of the Province of Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework and will remain in Red-Control for at least two weeks.

The move to Red-Control allows for the restricted reopening of some businesses, restaurants, gyms and fitness centres.

With the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre (NFFRC), many residents are anxious to return to the NFFRC, however, at this time the centre will remain closed to the public until at least the first week of March.

This decision was made in consideration of the potential designation of the NFFRC as a mass vaccination site and the impact that could have on recreational operations.

Further, this delay will allow for additional review of risks posed by new variants that could invoke an ‘emergency brake’ by the province, resulting in a move back to the Grey-Lockdown level for our region.

“This difficult decision is about the safety of our employees, the public, and what is in the best interest of the municipality as a whole,” said Peter Neufeld, Chief Administrative Officer. “There is considerable work that takes place to open a facility of this size, including onboarding employees who are currently not working. Onboarding staff and reopening the facility with the potential for it to close again after a short period of time is not cost-effective and does not provide a consistent level of service for our members and the community.”

“As part of our continued vigilance during this pandemic and out of concern for risks of new variants, we have made the prudent decision to keep municipal facilities closed,” said Mayor Hilda MacDonald. “I applaud the ongoing efforts of our municipal employees who continue to do what is necessary to keep our community safe.”

The Leamington Municipal Building remains closed to the public, except by appointment only, for those services that cannot be offered electronically.

Municipal staff remain available to assist and service customers by electronic means.

Customers can contact the municipality by phone at 519-326-5761 or use the municipal website at leamington.ca to access municipal information and services.

Phones and emails are answered during regular business hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday, and online service requests remain available at leamington.ca/reportanissue.

Leamington municipal parks and trails remain open and residents are encouraged to use outdoor areas for physical activity. Please adhere to public health guidelines including avoiding gatherings, washing/ sanitizing hands, keeping a physical distance of at least two metres and wearing a mask if physical distancing is not possible.

For information about the Red-Control level and what this means for your family or business, visit leamington.ca.