Toronto is planning to reopen a ton of park amenities this weekend
Over 850 park amenities are set to reopen this weekend, the City of Toronto has announced.
Picnic shelters, soccer and multi-use outdoor fields, baseball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts are reopening in public parks around Toronto just in time for some summery weather.
#CityofTO reopening more than 850 park amenities this week. News release: https://t.co/3LyjJBGOXS pic.twitter.com/L7FBUIoqqJ
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) May 20, 2020
This is in addition to the five BMX locations, 14 skateboard parks and four disc golf locations that reopened today and the 70 off-leash dog parks that reopened yesterday.
The city notes that permits for "soccer, multi-use fields and baseball diamonds continue to be cancelled until June 29."
"Individuals may use outdoor sports facilities and multi-use fields for non-team sports, such as walking, running, biking, skateboarding, frisbee, kicking a ball, and low contact racquet sports like tennis, badminton, pickleball and ping pong," it said in a release on Wednesday.
"Individuals are not permitted to play team sports, such as soccer or baseball, even on fields intended for this purpose unless they are members of the same household."
The city also notes that playgrounds, outdoor exercise equipment, swimming pools and splash pads will remain closed, as well as greenhouses, nurseries and conservatories, High Park Zoo and Riverdale Farm.
City officials stress that physical distancing measures will continue to be in effect with signage "being installed at open park amenity areas to remind users of the importance of physical distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19."
"People must always stay two metres (six feet) apart while visiting the city's parks. If a resident arrives at an amenity that is crowded, they are advised to wait until there is enough space to physically distance or return at another time."
Enforcement officers will be patrolling parks to ensure these measures are being followed.
150 basketball courts are reopening, but it will be left up to officers to determine whether the activity taking place counts as a "team sport."
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) May 20, 2020
I'm sure they'll apply the same standards as they would with bocce players.
Low-risk sports like tennis have already resumed at clubs around the city with strict guidelines for how to play while adhering to physical distancing measures.
The city also announced today that it is expanding the ActiveTO initiative that will see more streets opened up to allow pedestrians and cyclists to practice physical distancing outdoors.
Hector Vasquez
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