Mayor encourages safe cottage visits
by The Standard | May 14th, 2020 Podcast https://thestandardnewspaper.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/May-14th-2020-Mayors.mp3
DAN CEARNS, Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham believes people who own cottages in the municipality should still be able to visit them during this COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve always had a position here in the Kawartha Lakes where we’re asking people to respect the stay at home [message] and essential travel only, but we’re also respecting the fact that if people choose to go up to their place of residence, we’re not in a position to tell them not to come. If they do come, they’ll have to come up to a state of emergency and the limited services that we have, and follow all of the precautions that we’re following as permanent residents up here,” he said, during a telephone press conference, on Wednesday, May 6th. “I also have full confidence they’ll do that. Our seasonal residents have been part of our community for many, many years, many generations, and they know what their community is all about, what it is capable of handling. I’m not concerned at this point going into the long weekend.” Following a conference call between Premier Doug Ford and 280 Ontario Mayors, Mayor Letham explained what the message was these municipalities received from the province on this issue. “If you feel the need to go to your cottage on the long weekend, take your own supplies and stay at your cottage. Use common sense and keep distancing as you would anywhere else,” Mayor Letham wrote, in an email. At a press conference at Queen’s Park, on Thursday, May 7th, Premier Ford laid out his message to people visiting or who plan to visit their cottage. “Follow the same rules as we have everywhere else in the province. Make sure we respect the rules, no matter what jurisdiction you are going into,” the Premier stressed. “Let’s all work together, and we’ll get through this. There’s going to be many more weekends we can go up there and have a great time, but right now just please respect the rules.”