TILLYARD MANAGEMENT INC.: NEWS UPDATES
Light in the Tunnel. July 2021 Update
Step 3 of the Reopening Plan will commence on Friday, July 16
Due to more than 79% of Ontarians having at least one vaccination, the Province of Ontario is planning to move ahead to Step 3 of its reopening plan. What does this mean?
Gatherings, Sports, and Services:
- Outdoor social gatherings can include up to 100 people
- Indoor sports and rec facilities will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity to a maximum of 1,000 people
- Indoor funerals and weddings can operate under public health measures
- Museums, aquariums, cinemas, etc., can run at 50% capacity indoors, 75% outdoors
- Concerts, theatres and sporting events can operate at 50% capacity to a maximum of 1,000 people; outside, they can have 5,000 people for unseated events and 15,000 for fixed seating events
- Personal care services can open at whatever capacity allows for two meters between clients; mask removal is permitted where necessary.
Retail:
- Retail stores can operate at whatever capacity allows for two meters of distance between people
Restaurants, Bars, etc.:
- Indoor dining, retail, and personal care facilities will not have any limits on capacity so long as patrons are properly distanced
- Nightclubs may open with a maximum of 25% capacity up to 250 people
Masks and appropriate social distancing are still recommended!
Lockdown Intensifies. January 13, 2021 Update
We’re still in the GREY ZONE, but this time, it’s serious.
With the intention of lowering the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in Ontario, the provincial government has unveiled new restrictions to accompany a second state of emergency. The new rules have caused some confusion with the general public as it’s not terribly clear what has changed for many people who have been under lockdown for weeks now. Similarly, there is some confusion over what constitutes “essential”, as individuals’ needs differ across the spectrum of where we live and who we are.
Stay at Home:
Ontarians must stay at home as much as possible and only leave home for essential trips, such as going to the pharmacy, the grocery store, health care services, or for exercise or essential work. Anyone who can work from home should work from home.
The COVID-19 hotspots – York region, Toronto, Hamilton, Winsor-Essex and Peel region – will continue to engage in online learning until February 11, while the rest of southern Ontario will return to in-person school on January 25. Northern Ontario’s students are already back in in-person classes.
Outdoor Protocols:
Outdoor social gatherings are being reduced from 10 to 5 people. Everyone outdoors should wear a face covering or mask when they’re outside and cannot physically distance from others.
Retail:
Non-essential stores must now operate solely between 7am and 8pm. This includes the LCBO and hardware stores, as well as stores that currently operate by curbside-pickup. We can only assume that there will now be a longer line to get into either.
Stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, restaurants that offer takeout, and convenience stores are not affected by this change in hours.
Consequences:
By-law officers, police departments, and provincial workplace inspectors now have the authority to ticket anyone not adhering to the new safety measures.
Some answers to the most common questions can be found here.
Please, remember to wear a mask, social distance, and have patience.
January: We’re in the GREY ZONE
We’re still in the GREY ZONE, aka LOCKDOWN.
This lockdown will last until at least January 23 in southern Ontario. With some people travelling, others meeting up over the holidays, and most of us going a little crazy, are we doing what we should be doing to keep the virus in check? And what is different from earlier guidelines when we were in the Red Zone?
Social Distancing:
First of all, instead of keeping a one-metre distance from other people, you should now keep a TWO-metre distance from others. This is roughly the length of a dinner table, so it’s definitely not whisper-territory. If you don’t have to raise your voice to be heard, you’re probably too close.
The only people you should have in your house, other than your family, are support people. This includes babysitters and housekeepers, nannies and cooks, but no one else. While this can be interpreted as elitist, it is apparently aimed at supporting children, seniors, and vulnerable persons.
Work from home if you can. If you have to go to work, keep at least two metres between yourself and others at all times.
Restaurants and Retail:
You can order take-out, including alcohol, from any restaurant that offers it, but you can’t eat inside.
Go food shopping by yourself. Don’t bring your kids, your mom, or your buddy with you. And try to go to the store only once a week. And non-essentials? Curb-side pickup and online purchasing are your only options. That said, you can still shop your heart out at big box stores and other ‘essential’ retailers.
Activities:
Don’t go to a gym, the zoo, the library, play shinny, meet up with your soccer club, or gather outside with more than 10 people. Instead, find some available space on a toboggan hill or plan at least a week ahead to get some skate time on a rink.
Definitely don’t go to a wedding, a funeral, the nail salon or a tattoo parlour.
Finally:
DO, definitely, wear a mask or even two. Remember that this is virus can be airborne.
And, if you’re given the opportunity, get the vaccine.
November: We’re in the RED ZONE
Toronto, York, Halton, Hamilton and Peel are all in the RED ZONE of COVID-19 alert levels. What got us there and what does it mean for our tenants and you?
This is the last stage before total lockdown, so we are advised not to leave our homes for anything other than essential purposes. This is at odds with what is allowed under the Red Zone requirements, however, as we can see below.
Restaurants, Bars, etc.
- 10 people, maximum, seated indoors
- Masks or face coverings must be worn except when eating or drinking
- Patrons must be seated with a minimum of 2 metres between tables
- A limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery are permitted
- Patron contact info (one per party) is required
- No buffets
- Night clubs must operate as restaurant or bar
- Limit volume of music
- No dancing, singing or live performance of brass or wind instruments
- Establishments must close by 10 p.m.
- Liquor must be served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Customers must be screened via a questionnaire
- A safety plan must be available upon request
What’s closed?
- Strip clubs
Retail
- Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metre distance and face covering required
- Limit volume of music to conversation levels
- Stores and malls should consider limiting capacity during the holiday season
- For malls:
- Maximum 10 patrons permitted to be seated indoors in mall food court
- Patrons should be screened
- a safety planmust be available upon request
Meeting and event spaces
- Capacity of 50 people, maximum, per facility
- Facility limits:
- 10 people indoors
- 25 people outdoors
- Booking multiple rooms for the same event is not permitted
- Establishments must close at 10 p.m.
- Liquor can only be served between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
- Contact information for all seated patrons is required
- A limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Music must be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation
- Patrons must be screened
- A safety planmust be available upon request
Sports and Rec Facilities
- A maximum 50 people per facility, including staff, is allowed
- Gyms and fitness studios can have the maximum of:
- 10 people indoors (classes)
- 25 people outdoors (classes)
- 10 people indoors in designate areas with weights or exercise equipment
- Arenas and multiplexes’ sports and rec programs can have no more than 10 people per room indoors and 25 outdoors
- Team sports is limited to training only, with no contact allowed and no spectators (high performance athletes and para-athletic sports are exempt from this restriction)
- The duration of stay is limited to 90 minutes except if engaging in sport
- Music volume must be at conversation level
- Face coverings are required except when exercising
- Spacing between patrons must be at 3 metres for areas that include weights, weight machines, or fitness classes
- Contact information for all patrons is required
- A reservation for entry is required; one reservation for teams
- Patrons must be screened
- A safety planmust be available upon request
For performing arts facilities, gaming facilities, and cinemas, please check out the information offered on this Covid 19 Response Framework page offered by the government of Ontario.
GTA to Join Stage 2 Economic Re-Opening
June 23, 2020
Toronto and Peel region are now set to open on Wednesday, 24 June, as part of the province’s Phase 2 economic re-opening.
Phase 2 businesses that are allowed to reopen include:
- Shopping malls
- Indoor food courts (for delivery/take-out or outdoor seating only)
- Restaurants, bars, etc., that are able to provide outdoor dining
- Some personal care services, e.g. barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, tattoo studios
- Tour and guide services
- Film and TV production
- Low-contact outdoor recreational facilities
- Campgrounds, beaches and parks
- Drive-In movie theaters an drive-thru venues
- Libraries with limited access
Social distancing should be maintained, such as limiting the number of people who may be in a business at any one time.
Businesses should consider operating by appointment and/or record each patron’s name and contact information for the purpose of contact tracing.
Personal care providers should ensure that workers and patrons wear face coverings and, when circumstances necessitate, appropriate PPE such as gloves. Hand sanitizer should be provided when possible.
The details of Stage 3, “reopening all workplaces responsibly”, have not yet been revealed, nor has a time frame been given. We will post any and all information about the next phase of re-opening here.
For further information, please visit:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/framework-reopening-our-province-stage-2
Ontario Stage 2 Economic Re-Opening
June 9, 2020
Many Ontario businesses are being allowed to open on Friday, June 12, as part of the provincial government’s Phase 2 of its re-opening plan. However, businesses in the GTA and a few other parts of the province will NOT be allowed to progress to the next stage as of yet. The province will revisit this decision periodically.
Phase 2 businesses that are allowed to reopen include:
- Shopping malls
- Food courts (for delivery/take-out or outdoor seating only)
- Restaurants, bars, etc., that are able to provide outdoor dining
- Some personal care services, e.g. barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, tattoo studios
- Tour and guide services
- Film and TV production
- Low-contact outdoor recreational facilities
- Campgrounds, beaches and parks
- Drive-In movie theaters an drive-thru venues
- Libraries with limited access
Social distancing should be maintained, such as limiting the number of people who may be in a business at any one time.
Businesses should consider operating by appointment and/or record each patron’s name and contact information for the purpose of contact tracing.
Personal care providers should ensure that workers and patrons wear face coverings and, when circumstances necessitate, appropriate PPE such as gloves. Hand sanitizer should be provided when possible.
For further information, please consult:
https://files.ontario.ca/mof-framework-reopening-province-stage-2-en-2020-06-08.pdf
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program
The federal Canadian government has unrolled its plan to help small businesses and their rental obligations:
- It is designed to help small businesses cover their rents for April, May and June.
- This assistance is being rolled out in collaboration with the provinces.
- We have begun rolling out applications in concert with our tenants and landlords who are taking part in the program. Please contact us to see if your landlord is taking part in the CECRA program.
In addition:
Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
The federal government has loosened its restrictions on access to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
- This program is aimed at operational costs and other immediate needs.
- It is targeted at small and medium sized businesses
- It offers government-guaranteed loans of up to $40,000 to cover the costs of keeping businesses alive during the Covid-10 pandemic.
- The federal government is expanding the eligibility criteria for qualifying for this program.
- Eligible companies must have paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019.
BONUS:
- If the business who takes the CEBA loan are able to repay it by the end of 2022, $10,000 of that loan will be forgiven.
Please be advised that on Friday, April 3, following the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford has announced an amendment to the list of essential workplaces.
As of midnight on Saturday, April 4, businesses that are not identified as essential must close their offices.
Please see if your business qualifies as essential here.
We at Tillyard Management Inc. are taking the spread of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 infection very seriously. The situation is changing rapidly and we will do our best to relay any new information as it comes in via our twitter feed and the news page of our website.
The health, safety and wellbeing of all our employees, clients, suppliers and visitors to the buildings we manage is of the utmost importance. Tillyard Management Inc. is taking all the necessary steps to ensure standards are being upheld to prevent the spread of the virus within our own office, and we are prepared to support our tenants as the situation necessitates.
As of March 11, there are 103 confirmed cases of the virus in Canada, 42 of which are in Ontario, and these numbers are rising daily. It is widely recognized that proper handwashing is the SINGLE MOST EFFECTIVE method of preventing the spread of illness. The use of hand sanitizers appears to be a good alternative or supplement.
What We Are Doing
We are increasing the rotation of cleaning services for those properties that do not have their own cleaning arrangements, as well as indoor public spaces. We are also providing support for any of our tenants who request extra cleaning services that are beyond the abilities of their own providers.
Communication
We request that all tenants please provide an updated/current list of key personnel and emergency contacts emails and cell phone numbers for any future/mandatory communications.
Email correspondence will be sent out to all tenants as required.
Visitor Screening and Other Guidelines
Governmental authorities are recommending that we DO NOT SCREEN visitors for our tenants.
We encourage tenants to comply with Canada Health Guidelines. Travellers returning from affected areas at increased risk of COVID-19 infection may not be aware they have been in close contact with someone who is sick. Travellers may also not recognize when they first develop symptoms, as they are similar to a cold or flu.
If you are returning or have returned from any affected area in the last 14 days, it is recommended that you self-isolate and limit contact with others for the next 14 days, even if you are feeling well.
Similarly, if you have been to an event where there Covid-19 has been present, such as a conference or a sporting event, you should self-isolate.
You can Self-Isolate by Following These Guidelines:
Practice social distancing. Avoid close contact with other people, especially those with chronic conditions, a compromised immune system, or seniors.
Do not attend work, school, social events or any other public gatherings.
Watch for symptoms like fever, cough, or shortness of breath in yourself or family members.
Call Telehealth (1-866-797-0000) or your doctor’s office at the first sign of symptoms. Do not go in person unless you are severely ill or you have been directed to do so.
If you or someone within your company has a confirmed case of Covid-19, please inform Tillyard Management immediately at 905-542-9050. Your privacy will be respected. However, Tillyard Management has an obligation to notify other tenants as soon as possible that their risk of exposure to the Coronavirus has been elevated.
While this communication outlines our preparedness for operating our building we cannot stress enough that all tenants should have their own pandemic plans in place.