Join Westport Mayor and Council for a ZOOM get together between 9:30 and 10:30 on July 1st. Westport’s Canada Day ZOOM call will include the announcement of this year’s SENIOR OF THE YEAR. Always a surprise! MPP Steve Clark will be joining the call to bring Canada Day greetings from the Ontario government and answer your questions. He will be joined by Michael Barrett, the federal representative for the riding, who will bring greetings from the Canadian government and also answer your questions. Another amazing guest will be sharing Canada Day with Westport. Who do you think it is? No. Nope. Not even close! Another surprise! The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of

With Canada Day falling on Wednesday next week, the garbage and recycling pick up in Westport will happen on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 as per your 2020 Solid Waste and Recylcing Calendar.

TORONTO ― In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government has extended the provincial Declaration of Emergency under s.7.0.7 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to July 15, 2020. This extension, approved by the Ontario Legislature earlier today, provides Ontario with the additional time, flexibility, and the necessary tools to safely and gradually allow more places to reopen, while continuing to support frontline health care providers in the fight against COVID-19. “As we gradually and safely reopen our economy, our frontline care providers can continue to rely on these emergency orders to better protect our seniors and most vulnerable citize

For those who have questions regarding musicians performing in hospitality sector outdoor patios, I provide the following information. The wording in the Regulation is as #1 below – No dancing or singing may be permitted in the outdoor dining area (patio). Earlier this week when I was made aware of this issue, I contacted Dr Paula Stewart, MOH for Leeds, Grenville & Lanark and requested if the Health Unit would consider providing guidelines so that singing could occur safely for the musician, staff and customers. The next morning. I was pleased to hear from Dr Stewart that the below guidelines had been approved. Westport needs to give a shout out to Dr Stewart and all of the staff at the L

We are putting a few surprises together for Canada Day, including decorating the Village! Although the bicycle parade, breakfast and fireworks are cancelled this year because of COVID, July 1st is still an important day for Canadians to celebrate. I am looking for a few volunteers who can spend about 30 minutes on the evening of June 30 to get things ready for July 1! There is no heavy lifting. We specifically need volunteers for the following streets: 1. Mulville Bay Lane 2. Lakeview 3 Concession – County Rd #10 to Rideau St 4. Concession – Rideau St to Bedford 5. Church St – Rideau to Spring 6. Main St – Rideau to Spring 7 Main St – Spring to Bedford 8. Main St – Bedford to village limit

An agreement has once again been reached between Canada and the United States to keep the border closed to all non-essential or “discretionary” travel for another month. The extension on the existing agreement means that the border restrictions will stay in place until July 21.

TORONTO — Today, the Ontario government announced that it is getting more people back to work and more recreational activities open by moving forward with a regional approach to Stage 2 of reopening the province. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and local health officials, the government is easing restrictions in communities where it is safe to do so, based on trends of key public health indicators such as lower rates of transmission, increased capacity in hospitals, and progress made in testing. Effective Friday, June 12, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., the province will increase the limit on social gatherings from five to 10 people across the province, regardless of whether a r

All commercial landlords in Ontario can now apply for rental assistance to help their small business tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow the link below to see if you are now eligible to apply. News Release Ontario commercial landlords can apply for urgent rent assistance through Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance for small businesses May 29, 2020 9:30 A.M. Ministry of Finance TORONTO — All commercial landlords in Ontario can now apply for rental assistance to help their small business tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative will keep more small businesses in operation and more people employed as the province gradually and safely restarts the

News Release New Initiatives Help Keep Rates Stable and Affordable, while Offering Greater Choice June 1, 2020 1:00 P.M. TORONTO — The Ontario government announced that it will continue to support provincial electricity consumers by providing stability and greater customer choice, while helping those struggling to pay their energy bills as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Details of the new programs were provided by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Bill Walker, Associate Minister of Energy. Initiatives include: $9 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) to su

LIMITED VISITOR ACCESS AND BASIC SERVICES RESUME AT RIDEAU CANAL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE SMITHS FALLS, ONTARIO, May 27, 2020 – Starting June 1, 2020 the Rideau Canal National Historic Site will offer limited visitor access and basic services along the entire system, with the exception of Jones Falls and Kingston Mills. Visitors will be able to access the following services and facilities:  lockage, boat launches, access points and mooring areas;  day-use areas, including green spaces, picnic areas, and parking lots;  day-use trails, including some cycling access on designated trails and pathways ;  lockstation grounds; and  public toilets where enhanced cleaning protocols will b

On Wednesday, May 27 at a Special Council meeting, Council approved Greer Galloway, our Engineering consultant, to proceed with issuing the RFP for the reconstruction of Bedford St. The proposed schedule begins the work from Concession St to George St after July 1 and from George St to Main St after August 1. Construction will continue until October/November depending on weather. Bedford St will generally be open to traffic throughout the construction and there will be access to businesses and residents’ driveways. On April 2, 2020, I declared an Emergency that remains in effect. However two of the orders made under that declaration are not being extended. Emergency Order #1 will not be