As of today, London-Middlesex has moved into the Red-Control category of the Provincial Keeping Ontario Safe and Open framework.
A number of City facilities and services remain open and available in the Red-Control category, however, these remain open under greater restrictions and capacity limits.
Impacts to City of London services include the following.
City of London Recreation Programming:
- Team sports games or scrimmages are not permitted (training can continue)
- Racquet sports involving more than 2 players are not permitted
- Dressing rooms in arenas and change rooms in community centres will not be available
- Public skating at arenas will be cancelled as of Monday, December 14, and will open again as of December 21, with new restrictions in place
- Skating capacity at Victoria Park will be limited to 25 people at a time. To accommodate this, skaters will enter the enclosed area at the start of the hour, and will be allowed to skate for 45 minutes. At that time all users will be asked to leave the ice, allowing the next group to use ice on the hour.
- Storybook skating drop-in programs will be cancelled as of Monday, December 14, with a new schedule beginning on December 18.
Registration for winter recreation programs is currently underway. Program registration will continue, however, programs will be evaluated and will be modified based on any enhanced restrictions required as a result of being moved into this category. Programs running over the December holidays (December 21 - 30) will be changed to reflect increased restrictions identified in this category.
Participants will be informed about specific impacts directly, through phone calls and emails, as well as through information on the City’s website. All program cancellations where there are fees will have credits applied to user accounts. Refunds will also be made upon request.
City Clerk’s Office:
- Return to appointment based services for marriage licenses, ceremonies. All other services (Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requests, burial permits, bus tickets, passes, commissioner of oath, lottery, animal licenses, and general information) will continue to be available through walk-in.
- Civil marriage ceremonies will only be available to residents in London-Middlesex and areas that are not in a Red or Grey/Lockdown region.
- Attendance at civil ceremonies will be limited to the couple getting married and two witnesses, and those witnesses must not be coming from a health region that is in Red or Grey/Lockdown.
- Marriage licence requests will be by appointment only and licences will only be issued for people who are from London-Middlesex and areas that are not in Red or Grey/Lockdown.
- Pre-registration will be required for in-person Public Participation Meeting attendance to ensure capacity stays within the maximum permitted.
- The option to provide input remotely for Public Participation Meetings will continue.
Broader impacts of the Red/Control category include limits for all organized public events and social gatherings, where physical distancing can be maintained, to 5 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, along with additional measures for local businesses including restaurants, retail stores, personal care services, and fitness facilities, among others.
City of London Municipal By-Law Enforcement Officers will continue to work with partners to ensure education and compliance with these regulations.