It’s the beginning of Ontario’s gradual and phased in re-opening plan.
Social gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors until at least February 21st.
Indoor venues will still be screening patrons for proof of vaccination prior to entry, however most businesses will no longer need to collect information for contact tracing.
In Thunder Bay, outdoor rinks remain open with the recommendation that washrooms and heated change rooms only be used for changing, not staying inside for an extended period as per the provincial regulations.
City Hall will remain closed with service available by advanced appointment booking.
Access through all public entrances is now permitted at Victoriaville Centre and McKellar Mall during normal operating hours. The food court will be open to eat-in dining at 50% capacity.
The following facilities will be back open Monday:
- Canada Games Complex
- Volunteer Pool
- Arenas
- Older Adult Centres
- Community Centres
- Kinsmen Youth Centre
- Youth Inclusion Program February 1st
- Water Garden Pavilion
- Centennial Botanical Conservatory
Churchill Pool and the Baggage Building Arts Centre both remain closed.
Concessions at all city arenas will remain closed until February 7th due to staffing issues.
Ontario hospitals will be taking a phased approach to resume non-urgent surgeries and procedures in pediatrics, diagnostic services, cancer screenings, some ambulatory clinics, private hospitals, and independent health facilities.
Lakehead University students will be allowed to return to on campus learning while Confederation College will continue with the virtual avenue with an announcement about the remainder of the semester still to come this week.
In Athletics, the Thunderwolves are set to return to Ontario University Athletics (OUA) competition the week of February 9th.
The Thunder Bay Kings have indicated that game action in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) can resume this weekend.
The Lakehead Junior Hockey League (LJHL) will pick up their regular season schedule on February 3rd and the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) will feature a pair of games on February 4th.
The following settings will be capped at 50 per cent capacity (the rule applies to rooms within a facility and not the number of people you can fit in the whole building):
- Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
- Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)
- Shopping malls
- Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
- Cinemas
- Meeting and event spaces
- Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks
- Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions
- Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
- Religious services, rites, or ceremonies
The province will enact more re-opening measures on the subsequent dates:
February 21, 2022
- Social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
- Removing capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities, cinemas, as well as other settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements
- Permitting spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres at 50 per cent capacity
- Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance
- Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies limited to the number that can maintain two metres of physical distance, with no limit if proof of vaccination is required
- Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs
March 14, 2022
- Lifting capacity limits in all indoor public settings (proof of vaccination will be maintained in existing settings in addition to other regular measures)
- Lifting remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies
- Increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings
