The release of Haldimand County’s Spring/Summer 2020 Community Guide, which was scheduled to be delivered to all households the week of April 20, will not be proceeding as usual this year.

Due to the fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the unknown duration of municipal facility closures and public health orders/restrictions, the County has made the difficult decision to cancel all summer programming (summer camps, aquatics programs and heritage/culture workshops). In-person library programming will also be on hold until further notice. These activities are a large component of the Spring/Summer Community Guide publication.

In addition to these cancellations, all bookings of County facilities (e.g.: halls, sports fields, pavilions, arenas) up to and including June 27 have been cancelled, as well as all festivals and events scheduled to take place on County property. The County will closely monitor any changes to public health guidelines issued by federal, provincial and local authorities and review all opportunities to introduce special programming, resume events and provide recreational opportunities once it is deemed safe to do so.

“COVID-19 has impacted recreation, library, heritage/cultural services and community events significantly because the majority of their offerings are conducted in-person, at public facilities and involve groupings of people,” said Craig Manley, Chief Administrative Officer. “We know our recreation programs are highly valued by the community and this news will be disappointing to many. We’ve had to make some challenging decisions throughout this unprecedented situation in order to comply with public health orders and keep the community safe,” he continued.

A list of stay-at-home activities curated by County staff is available at HaldimandCounty.ca/covid-19/. Residents are encouraged to check the Haldimand County website, Facebook & Twitter accounts for updates and information on County services.

Although the County has instituted the above-noted closure dates and programming cancellations, it is committed to remaining flexible to the changing COVID-19 environment and is eager to help residents, families and visitors get back to the activities, events and projects that make our communities vibrant, welcoming and engaging. Once restrictions begin to be lifted, and depending upon the timing, the County will work hard to help everyone get back out and active.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions related to recreation programming, festivals and events, heritage & cultural services and facility bookings is available at HaldimandCounty.ca/covid-19/.