Statement to the Community from Mayor Meed Ward on behalf of the City of Burlington, Burlington Fire and Halton Regional Police Service to Encourage Responsible Park Use

Joint Statement
Written By

*Please see below a joint statement from Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward on behalf of the City of Burlington, Burlington Fire Department & Halton Regional Police Service.Burlington, Ont. — June 10, 2021 — Last weekend on Saturday night we experienced a large gathering of youth at Beachway Park in Burlington, with approximately 1000 individuals congregating at the beach and surrounding parking lots.Police responded on site as many local residents reported their concerns relating to illegal gathering and crowding, public safety, use of the park after hours (the posted closure time is 11 p.m.), and the illegal use of fireworks and alcohol.We have been made aware of efforts to organize a similar gathering this coming weekend and want to ensure the public is aware that the City of Burlington, including bylaw, roads and parks staff, is working in partnership with Burlington Fire and the Halton Regional Police Service to prevent this type of activity from recurring.Our parks throughout Burlington are open to the public for responsible use so that our community can enjoy the amenities there and spend time outdoors. This is even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic while indoor gatherings are still not permitted. Outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people will be permitted by the Province as of Friday, June 11th.We are committed to providing our community with safe and healthy outdoor environments to support their physical and mental well-being.In an effort to deter activity that will put health and safety at risk we will be closing access to Beachway Park, including adjacent parking lots, beginning at 8pm on Saturday evening and limiting vehicle and pedestrian access on that area of Lakeshore Road. There will be an increased presence of police, bylaw officers and Burlington Fire personnel throughout all city parks over the weekend to monitor activity and keep our community safe and healthy.Please use our parks as intended, safely and responsibly, so that everyone can continue to enjoy this valued outdoor space in these challenging timesMayor Marianne Meed Ward—PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.Halton Region has also created a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine webpage at halton.ca/covidvaccines for up to date information on the status of our COVID19 vaccination program.A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:

—*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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