Ontario Ready to Start the Gradual Reopening of the Economy

Wednesday, 6 May 2020 at 13:37

Garden Centres and Hardware stores will be allowed to open for Mothers Day weekend, expanding essential construction projects and non essential retail stores can start offering curbside pickup on Monday.

ONTARIO - The Province of Ontario is ready to start doing a gradual reopening of the economy.

Premier Doug Ford says he would rather be safe than sorry.

"Today following consultation with my cabinet, our health officials and key stakeholders, I'm prepared to announce that as of Friday, May 8 at 12:01 am Garden Centres and Nurseries will be allowed to open in time for Mothers Day Weekend. So heading into Mothers Day this weekend, please be sure to support your local Garden Centre and nursery and pick up some nice flowers for all the nice moms out there."

Ford also announced that Hardware Stores and Safety stores will be allowed to open at 12:01 am on Saturday May 9th. This means people can shop in stores, as long as these businesses follow strict public health measures. The same workplace safety requirements that apply to grocery stores and pharmacies will apply to Hardware and Safety stores.

The Province is also expanding essential construction projects to include demolition work related to essential construction projects and multi unit residential projects, such as condos and apartments. For these buildings, below grade will work will continue and existing above grade projects can continue.

Non essential retail businesses will be allowed to provide curbside pickup starting on Monday May 11th at 12:01 am. They will have to respect public health measures and the same workplace safety guidelines as well.

Ford says they will continue to get more businesses and services online as safely as we can.

"I want to be clear, all public health measures remain in place and will be strictly enforced, we can't take the progress we have made for granted and we have seen in other jurisdictions that moving too fast, giving this virus an inch can set us back, so we will move forward but we will moving cautiously, we will move with cautious optimism and we will get through this. My friends we are at the start of a long road and a long journey of recovery."

Other businesses, including restaurants are being told to get ready and look at the Provincial guidelines to start preparing for an eventual re-opening.

The businesses that will be allowed to open this weekend and on Monday must follow the Provincial guidelines that were set out by the Province last week, on how businesses can safely reopen.