COVID-19 City of Niagara Falls and Government of Ontario Updates: March 30, 2020

Please note the following City of Niagara Falls COVID-19 updates and service changes, including announcements from the Government of Ontario:

Transit Updates

• Transit will be further reducing WEGO Red Line service to and from Table Rock along Niagara Parkway shortly to mitigate non-essential travel to that location and Niagara Parks Commission properties as they are closed at present.
• Schedules are posted online: https://niagarafalls.ca/living/transit/bus-routes.aspx

Ontario Government: Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act

• On Saturday, March 28th, the Ontario government issued a new immediate Emergency Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to prohibit organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people. 
• This order doesn’t apply to private households with five people or more. 
• It also doesn’t apply to operating child care centres supporting frontline health care workers and first responders provided the number of persons at each centre does not exceed 50 people. 
• Funerals would be permitted to proceed with up to 10 people at one time.
• This order replaces a previous emergency order which prohibited organized public events of over 50 people.

Municipal Enforcement of Social Gatherings:

• The City of Niagara Falls will continue to monitor and prohibit social gatherings in parks, parking lots, or other vacant areas to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
• Municipal Enforcement staff will continue to enforce Municipal By-laws, and monitor and disperse any public gathering observed throughout the City. 
• Complaints regarding social gatherings more than 5 people on public or private property can be reported to [email protected] 

Ontario Government: Unfair Prices for Necessary Goods Order

• The Provincial government has issued an emergency order that retail businesses and individuals in Ontario cannot charge unfair prices for necessary goods.
• Individual offenders can face a ticket of $750, or, if summoned to court and convicted, could face a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and one year in jail.
• If convicted, a company director or officer could face a fine of up to $500,000 and up to a year in jail, and a corporation could face a fine of up to $10 million.
• Consumers can report an individual who is price gouging by filing a complaint at 1-800-889-9768 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, or by filing a report online. 

FAQ on City Services

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are on line and being updated daily.
• Visit https://niagarafalls.ca/covid19/frequently-asked-questions.aspx