Effective July 19, 2021, the City of Windsor will enter Stage 3 of the COVID-19 three (3) stage re-opening framework. As the City begins to move towards re-opening its office, the Building Division will continue to remain open for business and maintain strategic modifications that are in place for the Building Division operations. Beginning Monday, July 19^th we will begin accepting in-person inquiries by appointment only.
 Please see the attached document for details on our current processes and service model.
 We will continue to keep you informed of any changes of updates.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline heroes, and the ongoing commitment of Ontarians to get vaccinated, we have surpassed the targets outlined in the province’s Roadmap to Reopen. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health the Ontario government is moving the province into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021.
 
Step Three of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions;
• Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;
• Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
• Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less.
• Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);
• Essential and non-essential retail with with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
• Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
• Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;
• Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
  • up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
  • up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
• Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
• Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).

Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout Step Three. This is in alignment with the advice on personal public health measures issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, while also accounting for Ontario specific information and requirements. Face coverings will also be required in some outdoor public settings as well.
 
Please view the regulation for the full list of public health and workplace safety measures that need to be followed.
I look forward to continuing to work with you. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best regards,
Jenna Bendayan
Director of Stakeholder Relations
Office of the Premier of Ontario

The Province announced today that Ontario will move into Step One on the Roadmap to reopen this Friday, June 11.

Under step one ALL construction will be open.  You can see the list on the Ontario website here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1000159/roadmap-to-reopen?utm_campaign=%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1000279%2Fontario-to-move-to-step-one-of-roadmap-to-reopen-on-june-11&utm_source=newsroom&utm_term=public&utm_medium=email

The announcement is below or can be found online at: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000279/ontario-to-move-to-step-one-of-roadmap-to-reopen-on-june-11

https://mailchi.mp/wca/construction-roadmap-to-reopening

https://mailchi.mp/wca/the-province-has-released-a-three-step-economic-plan-for-reopening-ontario

https://mailchi.mp/wca/updated-health-and-safety-guidance

The Ontario government has finally updated its definition of essential construction under its latest stay-at-home order.

The order, which came into effect shortly after midnight on April 17, places stricter restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. Construction, which has largely been unaffected by provincial measures since the end of the spring 2020 lockdown, is one of those activities that has been curtailed under the new order.

We have been asked by the Ministry of Transportation to circulate the following information to members. This is all the information we have received and any questions should be directed to the MTO.

https://mailchi.mp/wca/workplace-inspectors-to-visit-1300-construction-sites-beginning-this-week

https://mailchi.mp/wca/ontario-enacts-provincial-emergency-and-stay-at-home-order

Please see link below

Effective April 8, 2021, the Province will move into a 4 week ‘Stay at Home Order’. City Hall will remain closed to the public until further notice.

 The Building Division will continue to remain open for business and maintain strategic modifications that are in place for the Building Division operations.

 Permits will continue to be reviewed, issued and inspected for all types of construction. Please review the attached documents for more information.  

 We will continue to keep you informed of any changes of updates.

 Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

https://mailchi.mp/wca/ontario-extending-stay-at-home-order-across-most-of-the-province-to-save-lives

Please see from the Government

https://mailchi.mp/wca/safety-plan-covid-safety

The attached document has been posted on the Government website.  Construction specific information starts on page 23 and confirms the list of essential construction services that was circulated earlier to members.

Please note that the information contained in this document is intended to communicate a summary of information about measures proposed to come into effect in Ontario or in areas of Ontario between Tuesday January 12, 2021 and Thursday, January 14, 2021. The material is not legal advice and does not purport to be or to provide an interpretation of the law. In the event of any conflict or difference between this summary information and any applicable legislation or regulation, the legislation or regulation prevails.

Construction activity in Windsor in 2020 may not have hit the heights it did in 2019, but all things considered, it did well.The final report on construction for 2020 issued by the city’s building department shows the city issued more than $392.6 million worth of permits for the year. That’s down by about 6 percent from 2019’s total of $419.6 million, but builders didn’t have a pandemic to deal with last year.   Read the entire article here

On Friday, September 25, 2020, the Government of Ontario amended O. Reg 364/20, effective Saturday September 26, 2020.  This Regulation sets out the Rules for Areas in Stage 3.  

https://mailchi.mp/wca/cloud-permit-rollout-building-department-fee-increases

The Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA) has been lobbying on behalf of the industry on four main issues stemming from the CORVID19 pandemic

This guide helps you understand and adapt to Ontario's new Construction Act, which came into full effect October 1st.