Ontario Stay-at-Home Order - can we go fishing, or not?

[Terry]

I think I will keep it a secret so not as many people will bother me while fishing 🎣 

 

 

 

 

 

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/zones-and-restrictions?fbclid=IwAR3nbxUo3q2MRxH3xs3jgKHFHmndifhBY4GYCFy0LxuhWlQ9RTSuT-tN8Bs

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Terry

[passthepitonspete]

Wow, Terry - excellent find!  

OK - so ice fishing is definitely legit.  I would certainly show this link to anyone stopping me going ice climbing, which wouldn't be too much of a stretch from the other permitted outdoor winter activities. 

I have found NOTHING about a travel ban in Ontario, nor any travel restrictions.  

It says you can go out for exercise, and the cops today told me they didn't have a problem with me driving up north to go ice fishing or ice climbing.  

Yet Doug Ford was QUITE emphatic on TV today, and basically said, "Stay the F*CK at home!! If you have to wonder if it's an essential reason to leave home, then it probably isn't essential, so STAY HOME."  etc.  

But there is no travel ban ...? 

Thoughts?  

[DanD]

3 hours ago, irishfield said:

Read it for yourself.. and see where you fit in..

Most legit info I've read so far. Thanks!

Dan. 

[irishfield]

Yep they have added ice fishing... but they also "disclaim it" and everything else by saying you have to follow Health guidelines and those are to stay at home other than essential trips for necessities and "walks around the block" for exercise.  "If you have two residences pick one but do not travel back and forth between the two".

Issue with a place like Temagam for example, there is no grocery store in the Winter.. so you either have to go North to Liskeard or South to NBay or Sturgeon Falls.

It's a Cluster......

Edited January 14, 2021 by irishfield

[Terry]

And the reason they say you must follow Healthguidelines  and they said bylaw officers can fine you

they are leaving it up to the municipalities to make their own rules. Just like in the spring. The simcoe health board said when the provincial rules said recreational businesses had to close all municipal sites and access to to lake would be closed. And the fine for breaking the rules was about 800 bucks   So if they say no one from out of town can park or access the lake in Innisfil. They can and will ticket people. It’s not a travel ban it’s a local bylaw enforced by the local Heath Unit 

[irishfield]

Here's the actual regulation enacted at midnight..

 

https://files.ontario.ca/solgen-stay-at-home-order-2021-01-13.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1gH1RKesy0ObPOsPewnUtOvKXZno9cNgJxb5uCVIZ6XjIjppWSJIypNWc

[Sinker]

I'm going to a lot of weddings. 

 

Gatherings 24. Attending a gathering for the purpose of a wedding, a funeral or a religious service, rite or ceremony that is permitted under the Stage 1 Order or making necessary arrangements for the purpose of such a gathering.

 

This is so stupid. Just basically do whatever you want, but try to stay home, eh? 

 

S. 

[SirCranksalot]

On 1/12/2021 at 8:10 PM, Terry said:

Ford said you can go stay at the cottage just take all the supplies you need for the stay.  He said it. So I would determine traveling that far is ok. So me running 1. .5 km to my lake is golden 

 

I am sure there will be clarification in the future but for now we are good to fish for food or exercise 

That's what he said before Xmas---not sure if it still applies.

 

[Terry]

Ford said it yesterday 

[Fisherman]

Their directions of stay at home and then have an arms length of exceptions is still a waste of time and resources. 

[Sinker]

1 hour ago, Fisherman said:

Their directions of stay at home and then have an arms length of exceptions is still a waste of time and resources. 

Bigtime. Either shut it down or don't. There's no in between. 

 

S. 

[passthepitonspete]

This from Quinte Walleye Facebook page:

[SirCranksalot]

2 hours ago, SirCranksalot said:

That's what he said before Xmas---not sure if it still applies.

 

Thx---should have read further.

 

I wonder if 'essential services'  such as peeler bars and nail salons will be open. Each of those was responsible for at least 1 outbreak a few mo ago------meanwhile people die a miserable death and medical staff are stretched to their limit and beyond!!

 

[RickOnt]

There are many questions about how police will be enforcing the new Stay At Home order that came into effect early this morning.

Police representatives from across Ontario took part in a meeting yesterday to try and get a better understanding of what they can do under the order.

Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Jeff McGuire says officers need to have a reason to stop citizens.

"Yesterday I was answering a lot of questions about people fearing a Police State type situation. Are police cars going to be driving around and police officers stopping people walking down the sidewalk and demanding notes from their doctors or their employers? None of that is permissible and none of it is going to occur. Quite frankly, I think the police are relieved by that. The police chiefs and frontline officers don't want that power."

For example, drivers cannot be stopped simply for an officer to ask where they are going. "If an officer is going to stop a car, he has to have the authority that already exists under the Highway Traffic Act in order to do so." McGuire explains. "And even then, you have the opportunity to ask, 'Is this essential travel?' The person doesn't have to respond or tell you that. We don't have an authority."

Officers do have the authority to enforce restrictions within businesses and stores and to break up gatherings of people and issue fines.

Click here to listen to McGuire's full interview with Tim Denis.

[DanD]

1 hour ago, SirCranksalot said:

medical staff are stretched to their limit and beyond!!

Yes I agree medical staff are working their asses off and could easily bring the virus home with them. So I'm not belittling them by any means; my daughter is a registered nurse at sick kids, here in London. But what about the other essential workers/businesses out there; me being one. I have signs on my customer entranced door; "must wear face covering to enter, no more then 3 clients at a time in the front office/waiting room". Your name, time, date and your temperature will be logged in on our visitors sheet. Who was my first client through the door this morning, a non compliant that had no mask; saying what does it matter. I asked him to leave; man was he pissed that I wouldn't work on his vehicle. I wasn't willing to take a risk of catching the virus or the fine for allowing him not to obey the new rules. Oh man my business is sucking a hind t!t! Not sure how I'm going to pay January's bills. I have three grandkids now and I'm not going to let them or the rest of may family down over profit.

This is Dan stepping off his soap box.

The hounds are calling though!

Dan.      

Edited January 14, 2021 by DanD
Needed to change some text

[SirCranksalot]

I agree----I didn't want to list all the essential workers. And good for you for drawing the line on that maskless guy.

As a side note, my garage seems to be as busy as ever. 

 

 

[passthepitonspete]

56 minutes ago, RickOnt said:

Some really great stuff! 

Hey RickOnt, that is exactly the type of info we seek. Can you please provide the link to the source?  Cheers, eh? 

[RickOnt]

https://www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/news/police-officials-will-not-have-authority-to-stop-citizens-to-only-inquire-about-essential-travel-1.14369755

[DanD]

7 minutes ago, SirCranksalot said:

As a side note, my garage seems to be as busy as ever. 

 

Oh sure rub some salt in it. LOL

Just joking and good that you'ar still producing!

A lot of my regulars are middle class (whatever that means) workers. Some have been lucky to earn a wage from at home a lot just have been on lay off from work and to proud to take assistance.

Dan.

[glen]

So you may get stopped or a ticket on a whim. 

[passthepitonspete]

47 minutes ago, glen said:

So you may get stopped or a ticket on a whim. 

Apparently not. Listen to the talk by police chief McGuire linked above. They are saying that they have to have some type of probable cause to stop you. And that they can't and won't stop you to ask you where you were going and why.

[SirCranksalot]

1 hour ago, DanD said:

Oh sure rub some salt in it. LOL

Just joking and good that you'ar still producing!

A lot of my regulars are middle class (whatever that means) workers. Some have been lucky to earn a wage from at home a lot just have been on lay off from work and to proud to take assistance.

Dan.

Just to clarify---I'm a customer,not the owner

 

[DanD]

12 minutes ago, SirCranksalot said:

I'm a customer,not the owner

Stay loyal to that shop and if something ever comes up that you don't understand or feel comfortable with during a service. Talk to them. Most times misunderstandings will work out for the both if you have that talk. I like it when a client questions me; it gives me the time to explain why and what we did. The people that do are my best clients; they're informed!

Same as what we're dealing with Covid. The more we're (honestly) informed the better we all will be.

Dan.

Edited January 14, 2021 by DanD
Forgot to add some text.

[passthepitonspete]

FINALLY SOME USEFUL INFORMATION!! 

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/48988?fbclid=IwAR3XGU5gVkp4-_k89D9M2THFu9351I8hYqHRd_BTRnxYjkSnxq75nDgLWOI

[Copied and pasted below, bold emphasis mine] 

Toronto Police enforcing Stay At Home orders

Broadcast time: 17:15
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021
Unit: Corporate Communications
Phone: 416-808-7100

On January 12, 2021, the Government of Ontario, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, declared a second provincial emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).

The government also issued a new Stay-At-Home order to limit mobility and reduce the number of daily contacts with those outside their immediate household. The order is requiring everyone to remain in their homes with exceptions under certain categories including for groceries, medical, pharmacy, exercise or for work that cannot be done remotely.

The Toronto Police Service will enforce this new order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) in addition to continued enforcement of the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA) in partnership with the City of Toronto.

"The message from the Toronto Police Service is to stay home and stay safe. This is no longer strictly a public health issue, it is a matter of public safety," said Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw. "We each have a personal responsibility to limit our travel to essential reasons only to slow the spread of COVID-19 and try to keep our families and communities safe and support our hospitals and healthcare workers."

No element of any order provides the police with either the power to enter dwellings nor the authority to stop a vehicle for the singular purpose of checking compliance with the Stay-At-Home order.

In addition, individuals are not compelled to explain why they are out of their residence, nor is being outside prima facie evidence of a failure to comply with the stay at home order. Workers are also not required to have proof from their employer that they are travelling to or from their workplace.

Officers will focus enforcement efforts on restaurants and businesses not in compliance with closure orders and/or customer limits; responding to complaint calls for gatherings and officers will disperse and ticket gatherings of more than five people outdoors.

"Officers can exercise discretion in every situation," continued Deputy Chief Demkiw. "But, where there is evidence of non-compliance, officers will be ticketing and issuing summonses for individuals and businesses."

The public is reminded that only when an officer has reasonable and probable grounds to suspect someone has violated one of the orders under the two Acts, they may ask the person to identify themselves in order to issue a ticket or summons. If the person refuses to identify themselves for this purpose, they can be arrested and charged with obstructing a police officer.

The Service continues to work with its partners at the City of Toronto, including Toronto Public Health, to determine how the regulations for large gatherings will apply to City-owned outdoor spaces such as skating rinks and toboggan hills."

 

So go fishing, check that your taillights aren't burned out, don't speed, and if you're stopped, know what you have to say, and what you don't have to say. 

Save the link to your cell phone, and ask the officer to read it.  

Thoughts? 

Edited January 15, 2021 by passthepitonspete

[singingdog]

Keep justifying travelling outside your region and we will be doing this for the next 2 years. Yes, exercise (fishing included) is essential. That doesn't mean that you can use that as an excuse to travel from region to region. The virus can't move without us moving it. Exercise close to home. This will stop when people stop moving around.