COVID-19

• Town shares update on re-opening of select municipal facilities
• Town Council approves gradual reopening of Pyramid Recreation Centre

• Town of St. Marys receives emergency funding for COVID-19 expenses

• Town shares update on re-opening of select municipal facilities

• St. Marys Public Library re-opening its doors

• Town shares preliminary re-opening plans for select municipal facilities

• HPPH issues instructions on use of face coverings in indoor commercial and public spaces

• Town provides update on status of select municipal programs and facilities

• St. Marys Quarry opening July 6

• Update on child care centres in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County

• Town opening select outdoor recreational amenities starting June 12

• St. Marys Public Library offering curbside pick-up service starting June 9

• Town provides update on re-opening plans for outdoor municipal recreational amenities

• Emergency child care for eligible workers to be offered in St. Marys starting June 8

• Special summer events cancelled; Canada Day reimagined

• Wellness Gardens to blossom at Cemetery

• Town reminding residents to shop local in St. Marys

• St. Marys Public Library exploring curbside pick-up and delivery options

• Town and hospital receive generous protective equipment donations

• Home Support Services receives funding to expand Meals on Wheels program

• Town provides update on status of waste management services

• Town Council approves yard sale ban

• Town, Library and Adult Learning offering free finance-focused webinar series

• Town recruiting members for Business Economic Support and Recovery Task Force

• Town’s local business support goes digital

• Town announcing further financial relief measures for those impacted by COVID-19

• Town of St. Marys expanding Community Wellness Program

• Town of St. Marys taking further action to stop the spread of COVID-19

• Homecoming+Heritage postponed to 2021

• St. Marys pandemic business directory now available

• Town of St. Marys waiving penalties and interest charges on municipal payments for 30 days

• Town of St. Marys launching new Community Wellness Program

• Town notified of St. Marys resident with confirmed case of COVID-19

• Select Town of St. Marys facilities closing indefinitely in response to COVID-19

• St. Marys Child Care Centre closing temporarily to prevent spread of COVID-19

Status

• Camp PRC has been cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19. Those previously registered in the program should already have received a full refund.

Contact

• 519-284-2340, ext. 626
• cbrennan@town.stmarys.on.ca

Status

• All emergency services (fire, police and paramedics) are ready to respond to calls. 
• In-person fire inspections are currently unavailable.

Contacts

• Emergencies: 9-1-1
• Fire Department (non-emergency): 519-284-1752
• Stratford Police Service (non-emergency): 519-271-4141
• Perth County Paramedic Services (non-emergency): 519-271-0531, ext. 500

Status

• Homecoming+Heritage has been postponed to 2021. 
• Melodies at the Museum has been cancelled for 2020.
• Highlight St. Marys has been cancelled for 2020. 

Contact

• 519-284-2340, ext. 249
• amacko@town.stmarys.on.ca

Status

• In-person payments can be made Municipal Operations Centre (located at 408 James Street South, open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm).
• Also accepting payments through online banking or by sending a cheque through the mail: Town of St. Marys, 175 Queen Street East, PO Box 998, St. Marys, ON N4X 1B6
• Drop box available at lower level of Town Hall for cheques only. 

Contact

• 519-284-2340
• finance@town.stmarys.on.ca

Status

• Open to residents for regular, non-hazardous waste disposal on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. 
• The Electronic Waste Depot is also open during the landfill's regular hours. 
• There are some COVID-19 protocols in place at the landfill to protect residents and staff:
  • Only contactless payments (debit or credit with tap or charge account) will be accepted; the use of cash is not permitted.
  • A limited number of customers are permitted to enter the landfill at one time. 
• The Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste Depot remains closed. A hazardous waste disposal event is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2020. 
• Visit our Landfill page for further details.

Contact

• 519-284-2340, ext. 213
• mdykstra@town.stmarys.on.ca

Status

The following outdoor municipal recreation amenities are currently open:

• Baseball diamonds 
• Boat ramp
• Cadzow Park splash pad
• Dog Park
• Fishing quarry
• Playgrounds
• Skate park
• Soccer fields
• Tennis/pickleball courts
• Trails (for walkthrough access only)

The following outdoor municipal recreation amenities remain closed:

• PRC splash pad

Contact

• 519-284-2340

Status

• Playgrounds and pavilions are open.
• Gatherings and events of up to 100 people are allowed, as long as physical distancing can be maintained. 
• Organized sports are allowed on all sportsfields, as long as all teams and leagues follow the applicable Provincial orders.

Contact

• 519-284-2340

Status

Public washrooms are now open in the following locations:

• Cadzow Park
• Milt Dunnell Field (lawn bowling facility)
• Town Hall 
• Kin Pavilion 

COVID-19 protocols for public washrooms

• Washrooms will be cleaned/sanitized twice daily between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, with fogging taking place at the end of each day.
• COVID-19 signage will be posted.

Status

• The Cadzow Park splash pad is currently open
• The Pyramid Recreation Centre splash pad remains closed.

COVID-19 protocols for Cadzow Park splash pad

• The splash pad will be open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily.
• Capacity is limited to 28 patrons on the splash pad at one time.
• Temporary fencing has been installed to limit access points.
• Patrons should practice physical distancing while using the splash pad (stay 2 meters/6 feet away from others).
• The splash pad will be inspected every two hours between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm daily.
• The start button on the splash pad will be sanitized every two hours daily.
• COVID-19 signage will be posted.

Contact

• 519-284-2340

Status

• Organized sports are allowed on all sportsfields, as long as all teams and leagues follow the applicable Provincial orders.

Contact

• 519-284-2340

Our Community Wellness Program offers a range of services to help people cope with the challenges of living through this pandemic, including: 

• Hot and frozen meal delivery
• Delivery of groceries, medication and other essentials
• Telephone reassurance and social connection calls
• Virtual recreation programming 

The program is open to people of all ages and abilities who need assistance. To learn more about the program, visit our Community Wellness Program page. 

We have taken a number of steps to reduce the financial burden facing members of our community due to COVID-19, including:

• Allowing those struggling financially to defer the May 29, 2020 property tax payment to June 30, 2020
• Waiving fees and penalties on municipal payments until July 31, 2020 (except for property taxes)
• Eliminating planned fee increases for child care, ice rentals and animal licenses
• Allocating $300,000 to a COVID-19 financial relief fund, with $100,000 dedicated to supporting local businesses
• Hosting three finance-focused webinars through Facebook Live and Zoom teleconferencing to provide community members with vital information about the financial relief programs available from all three levels of government (past webinar videos now available on Facebook)

Online programs

We are using Facebook to share live and pre-recorded videos of recreation and leisure programming. A weekly schedule and supporting resources are available on the Community Wellness Program page, under Virtual Recreation Programming. 

To participate, visit the Pyramid Recreation Centre’s Facebook page at the scheduled time – the video should be available in the main feed. You do not need a Facebook account or to be registered with the Community Wellness Program to participate!

Past videos are saved on the Facebook page. 

Telephone programs

We also offer programs through Zoom teleconferencing for those who do not have access to the Internet. Telephone programs are listed on our weekly schedule, available on the Community Wellness Program page (under Virtual Recreation Programming). 

To participate, contact the Community Wellness Program at 519-284-3272 prior to the start of the program. Our team will walk you through the necessary steps to join the call. 

We have resurrected the community garden plots at St. Marys Cemetery as part of our response to COVID-19. Collectively called the “Wellness Gardens,” the 20 plots are available via a first-come, first-served application process. This year, there is no charge for the plots, but users must bring their own tools and abide by physical distancing recommendations. 

Visit the Community Allotment Garden program page for full details. 

Our Business Resources and Directory page includes links to the various assistance programs available to businesses that are suffering in the wake of COVID-19. It also features a list of mental health resources for business owners. 

Our Business Resources and Directory page features an up-to-date listing of how local shops, restaurants and service providers are operating during these challenging times. 

To submit your business information, please email communications@town.stmarys.on.ca or call 519-284-2340, ext. 272 with the following information:

• Business name
• Street address
• Preferred social media account/website
• One of the following status options: closed completely; closed to public; delivery/pick-up available with advance notice; open to public, limited hours; open to public, regular hours

We have established a Business Economic Support and Recovery Task Force to advise Council on matters related to local businesses and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its focus will be supporting the St. Marys business community now and after the outbreak has ended. 

The task force will be made up of five local business owners and two members of Council, and will be supported by municipal staff from a range of departments. 

We have taken the lead on participating in an online gift certificate resource, www.fansaveshelps.ca. FanSaves aims to support communities by encouraging social distancing and allowing businesses to stay afloat during this unprecedented pandemic.  

Gift certificates can be purchased from the comfort of home, with the amount (minus any credit card fees) transferred into the business’s bank account within two weeks. Purchasers will receive an email they can print off and use once businesses reopen. The site also includes an option to purchase certificates to donate to local hospitals, including St. Marys Memorial Hospital.  

To find participating local businesses, click on “Find Your Community” at the top of the fansaveshelps.ca page and scroll down to St. Marys. Click on the logo to see two pages of businesses.