April 19, 2021
Ontario Strengthens Enforcement of Stay-at-Home Order
What the recent closures mean for Construction
On Friday, April 16, the Ontario government in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, strengthened enforcement of the provinces’ Stay-at Home order while imposing new travel restrictions and further strengthening public health measures.
Section 43 of Schedule 2 to the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted
Construction activities or projects and related services, including land surveying and demolition services, that,
(a) are associated with the health care sector or long-term care, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space;
(b) ensure safe and reliable operations of, or provide new capacity in,
municipal infrastructure, or
(i) municipal infrastructure, or
(ii) provincial infrastructure, including but not limited to, the transit, transportation, resource, energy and justice sectors;
(c) support the operations of, or provide new capacity in, electricity generation, transmission, distribution and storage, natural gas distribution, transmission, and storage or in the supply of resources;
(d) support the operations of, or provide new capacity in, schools, colleges, universities or child care centres within the meaning of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014;
(e) are required for,
(i) the maintenance and operations of petrochemical plants and refineries,
(ii) significant industrial petrochemical projects where preliminary work commenced before April 17, 2021, or
(iii) industrial construction and modifications to existing industrial structures limited solely to work necessary for the production, maintenance or enhancement of personal protective equipment, medical devices such as ventilators and other identified products directly related to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic;
(f) would provide additional capacity in the production, processing, manufacturing or distribution of food, beverages or agricultural products;
(g) were commenced before April 17, 2021 and that would,
(i) provide additional capacity for businesses that provide logistical support, distribution services, warehousing, storage or shipping and delivery services,
(ii) provide additional capacity in the operation and delivery of Information Technology (IT) services or telecommunications services, or
(iii) provide additional capacity to, or enhance the efficiency or operations of, businesses that extract, manufacture, process and distribute goods, products, equipment and materials;
(a) support the operations of broadband internet and cellular technologies and services;
(b) are residential construction activities or projects and related services;
(c) prepare a site for an institutional, commercial, industrial or residential development, including any necessary excavation, grading, roads or utilities infrastructure;
(d) are necessary to temporarily close construction sites that have paused, or that are not active, to ensure ongoing public safety;
(e) are funded in whole or in part by,
(i) the Crown in right of Canada or in right of Ontario,
(ii) an agency of the Crown in right of Canada or in right of Ontario, or
(iii) a municipality; or
(f) are,
(i) intended to provide shelter or supports for vulnerable persons or affordable housing, and
(ii) being funded in whole or in part by, or are being undertaken by,
(A) the Crown in right of Canada or in right of Ontario,
(B) an agency of the Crown in right of Canada or in right of Ontario,
(C) a municipality,
(D) a service manager as defined the Housing Services Act, 2011, a registered charity within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada), or
(E) a not-for-profit corporation.
Maintenance
Maintenance, repair and property management services that manage and maintain the safety, security, sanitation and operation of institutional, commercial, industrial, and residential properties and buildings.
Training
A person approved to provide training for apprenticeship programs under paragraph 5 of section 64 of the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009.
Post-secondary institutions may only open if they meet the following conditions:
(a) In-person teaching, or instruction may only be provided if the following conditions are met:
(b) The subject matter of the teaching or instruction requires that it be taught in-person, such as clinical training or training related to a trade.
(c) The instructional space must be operated to enable students to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person in the instructional space, except where necessary for teaching and instruction that cannot be effectively provided if physical distancing is maintained.
(d) The total number of students permitted to be in each instructional space at the institution at any one time must be limited to the number that can maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person in the business or place, and in any event cannot exceed,
(i) 50 persons, in the case of an instructional program described in subsection (2), and
(ii) 10 persons, in any other case.
You can view the full list of enhanced Provincewide shutdown measures here.
To get the latest case data and updates, learn how to protect yourself and others and get advice on what to do next if you think you might have COVID-19, click here.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Katherine Jacobs
Director of Research
Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS)
180 Attwell Drive, Suite 360, Toronto, ON M9W 6A9
P 416.620.5210 ext. 222
F 416.620.5310
kjacobs@iciconstruction.com
