Cottage country mayors, Doug Ford will discuss options amid COVID-19
With the warm weather upon us, people are itching to go up to their summer homes. Premier Doug Ford says he is well aware and will be on a call with mayor’s in cottage country later this week.
Victoria Day weekend has been dubbed the unofficial start to the summer season for many people heading up to their cottages. The Premier of Ontario says he knows people are itching to get up to their summer homes and he is prepared to have further conversations with the mayors of cottage country.
“I had a conversation with one of the mayors in Muskoka,” said Premier Doug Ford in a press conference on Monday. “I have asked to get on a conference call with all the mayors in cottage country. As we see the numbers come down by May 24th, hopefully the numbers are going to continue coming down, we're going to have a heart-to-heart conversation this week with the mayors.”
Ford added that the conversation is set to happen later this week.
“There's only so long you can hold back taxpayers from going to their cottages,” he continued. “I'll give you an example of Muskoka -- the vast majority of taxes are paid through cottagers and the economy up there...I was just speaking to the mayor. People rely, the retail stores and the cottage country rely on cottagers from the beginning of May, probably April, all the way through to September. That's their livelihood so if people are responsible, the numbers continue to go down, we'll have that conversation.”
Last month, The Weather Network reached out to several mayors across Ontario regarding concerns with people heading to the cottage to isolate during the coronavirus pandemic.
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“We are always an open and welcoming community,” said Phil Harding, Mayor of The Township of Muskoka Lakes told us at the time. “ I think that we always need to realize that we are all in this together.”
Harding acknowledged the summer season was going to be different this year.
“Summer 2020 for everyone in the province of Ontario, across Canada, around the world, will be vastly different,” he said.
“If people go up to their cottage, bring their own food, don't go to the stores, stay at the cottage, by May 24th. There's only so long I can hold the big gates back from these people. They're going to want to go to their vacation property. I understand and I think we've made the right decision about the cottagers, but as we see the numbers go down, let's just see what happens,” said Ford.
He said his discussion with the mayors later this week will determine the next steps.
