April 19th, 2020
Click here to download WBFN Covid-19 Update as PDF
Upon further clarification of the current non-essential business and closures, we would like to provide the following information to all cottager owners and contractors.
Effective April 20th, 2020 at 11pm the community will enforce the following:
- As per the direction of the Ontario government, all construction and renovations on recreational properties must stop immediately. This includes seasonal cottages. All current contractor passes are revoked after this date.
- Renovations on residential homes can only continue if they started on or before April 4th, 2020. The First Nation requires written confirmation that the projects are allowed under the current guidelines by Thursday, April 23rd, 2020 or contractors and suppliers will not be permitted to access the road.
- Emergency repairs to a property are permitted with advance notice sent to washagamis.ggconsult@outlook.com. It is expected that the repairs will only entail fixing immediate issues and not extensive renovations
- Any construction or maintenance required to close any current construction and renovation sites that are paused due to the COVID 19 emergency will be permitted for a limited period.
- No new contractor and supplier access will be permitted unless the repair, construction or renovation is permitted by current Ontario non-essential service provider guidelines. Property owners are required to get written permission for these projects to move forward so any access can be granted.
- At anytime, the Ontario Provincial Police, Treaty 3 Police Services and/or the Ministry of Labour may visit each property that have renovation and construction projects to determine if they are compliant with the current Ontario non-essential service provider guidelines
Please be aware that Washagmis Bay First Nation is followed restrictions and directives from the Ontario provincial government. The First Nation is required to follow these restrictions and directives and no exceptions will be made.
Miigwetch!
Chief and Council
Emergency Numbers:
- Treaty Three Police: 1-807-548-5474
- Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
- OPP: 1-800-310-1122
- AAFS: 1-807-468-6224
- Kenora Ambulance:1-807-468-3311
CURRENT ONTARIO ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
The following is a list of the permitted essential service providers who will be able to access cottage or community properties. The list includes services that the First Nation anticipates would need to access cottage or community properties. This list is effective April 4th and may change without notice:
MAINTENANCE
20. Maintenance, repair and property management services strictly necessary to manage and maintain the safety, security, sanitation and essential operation of institutional, commercial, industrial and residential properties and buildings.
CONSTRUCTION
27. Construction projects and services associated with the healthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space.
28. Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in, critical provincial infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-day maintenance.
29. Critical industrial construction activities required for,
i. the maintenance and operations of petrochemical plants and refineries,
ii. significant industrial petrochemical projects where preliminary work has already commenced,
iii. industrial construction and modifications to existing industrial structures limited solely to work necessary for the production, maintenance, and/or enhancement of Personal Protective Equipment, medical devices (such as ventilators), and other identified products directly related to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.
30. Residential construction projects where,
i. a footing permit has been granted for single family, semi-detached and townhomes
ii. an above grade structural permit has been granted for condominiums, mixed use and other buildings, or
iii. the project involves renovations to residential properties and construction work was started before April 4, 2020.
31. Construction and maintenance activities necessary to temporarily close construction sites that have paused or are not active and to ensure ongoing public safety.
SHORT TERM RENTALS
1. Every person who provides short term rentals in rental accommodations shall ensure that any rentals booked after April 4, 2020 are only provided to individuals who are in need of housing during the emergency period.
2. Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of hotels, motels and student residences.