With Mother’s Day on Sunday and the Victoria Day long weekend just a week away, cottage-goers may be tempted to head north up Highway 400 to relax, even though both the provincial and municipal governments are advising against it.
Earlier this week, Premier Doug Ford urged cottagers to avoid going to their seasonal residences as the Victoria Day long weekend approaches, May 15-18.
Ford has said he can't keep people from going, but told them to take precautions if they did, such as bringing their own food so as not to travel into stores, not to hold public gatherings, and to continue practising physical distancing.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman told BarrieToday he was “concerned but not panicked” at the prospect of people travelling through the city to get where they want to go.
“The advice to cottage owners has been clear: If you go, bring everything you need with you,” Lehman said. “We’re unlikely to see many visitors to hotels, etc., with most local attractions shut down. Tourism is still being discouraged.”
While Barrie has a picturesque lakefront, the warm weather on a long weekend is tempting for many who like to hit Centennial Beach and other parks.
Lehman says there could be people looking to get near the water, which can be worrisome.
“Yes, the beach and waterfront are a bit of a concern," said the mayor. "We will have officers available to enforce (physical) distancing and not gathering. Of course, it’s OK to go outside and visit parks, but only if staying off the closed areas, such as playgrounds and beaches. And distancing!”
Earlier this week, the City of Barrie announced that its outdoor Canada Day party has been cancelled this year and moved to an online celebration. More and more festivals and events continue to be put on hold, as well.
“Given major events being cancelled, I think this is going to be a tough summer, for sure, for hotels and other businesses that depend on visitors to Barrie," Lehman said. "Hopefully, some leisure tourism can come back over the course of the summer."
There are some ideas being worked on that could help the local tourism industry stay afloat when some restrictions are lifted, he said.
