City of Burlington cancels all summer programs amid COVID-19 pandemic

Burlington | Halton | Ontario | COVID | Latest News |

Published May 19, 2020 at 2:32 pm

City of Burlington cancels all summer programs amid COVID-19 pandemic

The City of Burlington announced Tuesday that all municipal-run summer programs in 2020 are cancelled “due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and following the Provincial and public health directive

The City of Burlington announced Tuesday that all municipal-run summer programs in 2020 are cancelled “due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and following the Provincial and public health directives”.

This includes activities such as summer camps, recreation programs, festivals and events, swimming, and skating drop-ins that were originally offered in the Live & Play Guide.

“I know this news will be disappointing to our community; however, we need to continue to stay apart for now to protect ourselves and each other,”  said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

“Public health and safety need to continue to come first.”

Programs

Organizations and residents are asked by the city to be patient during this time as they expect it will take 4-6 weeks for staff to process these cancellations. Residents who paid for these programs using a credit card will be refunded to that same credit card if possible. All other payment methods will receive a credit to their online recreation accounts.

You can email [email protected] for cheque refund requests.

As restrictions from the province and public health are lifted, the City of Burlington says it will implement a redesigned or modified programs where possible.

To be notified of any new programs, visit and subscribe to burlington.ca/play.

Facility Rentals

All facility rentals up to and including Sept. 7, including arenas, pools, community centres, schools, sport fields, and picnics are cancelled.

Renters who paid by credit card will be refunded to that same credit card if possible, according to the City of Burlington. Others will receive a credit on account.

Requests for future booking dates are not being accepted until further notice.

The city said it is monitoring the situation closely and will work with local organizations to determine any modified programs as we are able to.

Any opportunity to re-open facilities or resume programming following health directives including physical distancing or reduced group sizes will be posted to the city’s website and social media pages.

“Summer programming is our busiest time with some waitlists forming as early as January,” added Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services. 

“Please be patient as we process credits and refunds. These can take time but be assured that everyone who needs a credit or refund will get one.”

Parks

While City of Burlington parks were never closed for walk-through traffic, residents can now enjoy a few more activities in their local City of Burlington parks and green spaces with members of their own household including:

  • Playing catch, kicking a soccer ball and flying a kite
  • Sitting on a blanket, grass or lawn chair
  • Exercising and stretching on a yoga mat, but not in a class
  • Letting young children run and burn off some energy

“One of our adaptations to the COVID-19 physical distancing is our virtual programming,” continued Glenn.

“I encourage everyone to access our free virtual programming which can be found at burlington.ca/activeathome. There are golf tips, cooking lessons, crafts, and more.”

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