ontario covid gathering rules

Police charge 8 people from the GTA for attending gathering at Muskoka cottage

Eight people from the GTA have been charged by police after allegedly attending an illegal indoor gathering in Gravenhurst this past weekend, according to the OPP.

Bracebridge Ontario Provincial Police says officers received a complaint from a member of the public about a gathering at a cottage in the area on May 1 at 10:30 p.m.

"Officers attended and found eight individuals from the Greater Toronto area at the seasonal residence and charged them accordingly," reads a news release from police

All indoor gatherings with people from different households are currently banned in Ontario as a result of lockdown measures and a stay-at-home order, and residents have been asked not to travel outside their home region. 

The cottage-goers were therefore charged under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), and police say the fine for such a contravention is $750 per person.

Police all over Ontario have been cracking down on illegal gatherings as of late. Almost two weeks ago, for example, five Ontario residents from the Brantford area who live in different households were charged for not complying with the stay-at-home order after getting caught riding in a car together.

Lead photo by

Gary J. Wood


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