ontario reopening plan

Here's the official list of what's reopening in Toronto for Step 1

It's official: Ontario will enter Step 1 of Doug Ford's 3-step Roadmap to Reopening framework plan this Friday, June 11, three days earlier than expected.

Between non-essential retailers allowing customers in-store again (with restrictions) to bars and restaurants once again serving up deliciousness on patios (again, with restrictions), there's plenty to be excited about.

But it's not only the return of patio beers that we can look forward to this weekend after more than two months in full province-wide shutdown mode (during much of which a stay-at-home order, recently expired, was also in effect.)

The government's latest post-COVID reopening plan also permits such things as camping, outdoor fitness classes and visits to historical attractions under Step 1.

"Step One of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities with smaller crowds where risk of transmission is lower," reads a release from the province issued Monday.

"It will also permit more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government has amended Step One to also permit indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services limited to 15 per cent capacity."

Here's a non-exhaustive list of everything the government says we can expect to begin enjoying again on Friday, should we move out of shutdown mode and into the first step of the vaccination-rate-based reopening framework as planned:

  • Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;
  • Outdoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
  • Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 15 per cent capacity of the particular room;
  • Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
  • Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
  • Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households;
  • Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other restrictions;
  • Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
  • Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals;
  • Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, among other restrictions;
  • Outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators; and
  • Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites and botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.

Malls aren't reopening, for the record, though stores within malls that have external access points will be allowed to.

It's also important to keep in mind that, while the above businesses and services will be permitted to open under Step 1, they don't have to. Some bars, restaurants and retail stores have already stated that they won't be ready to reopen with just three days notice.

Your safest bet before doing anything that is forbidden under current lockdown orders this weekend is to call ahead or check up online.

Lead photo by

Hector Vasquez at The Latest Scoop


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