Following the announcement from the Ontario government that the list of businesses classified as essential will be reduced further, the City’s Development & Emergency Services Department will only be performing inspections on essential construction projects listed in the Emergency Order below.
For now, permit applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed so the City is able to facilitate construction once the orders are lifted.
Emergency Order for Construction includes:
- Construction projects and services associated with the healthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space.
- Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in, critical provincial infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-day maintenance.
- Critical industrial construction activities required for,
o the maintenance and operations of petrochemical plants and refineries,
o significant industrial petrochemical projects where preliminary work has already commenced,
o industrial construction and modifications to existing industrial structures limited solely to work necessary for the production, maintenance, and/or enhancement of Personal Protective Equipment, medical devices (such as ventilators), and other identified products directly related to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Residential construction projects where,
o a footing permit has been granted for single family, semi-detached and townhomes
o an above grade structural permit has been granted for condominiums, mixed use and other buildings, or
o the project involves renovations to residential properties and construction work was started before April 4, 2020.
- Construction and maintenance activities necessary to temporarily close construction sites that have paused or are not active and to ensure ongoing public safety.
According to the Province, only critical construction projects will continue, including industrial projects such as refineries and petrochemical plants and infrastructure projects such as new hospitals, roads and bridges. New starts in residential projects will stop, while residential construction that is underway will continue.
Water Meters and Remote Devices Are Not Being Read by the City at This Time
All residents and businesses will need to submit water meter readings whether or not they have a remote device. Readings can be submitted by calling 625-3160 (24 hr. service) between the first and 21st of the month.
If meter readings are not submitted, water usage for the billing period will be estimated. Estimates may be higher than actual for businesses that are not operating, so it is important to submit the water meter readings.
Final readings due to a sale of a property should be called into the Revenue office at 625-2255 or by emailingtaxandwater@thunderbay.ca
Traffic Flow Restricted at Landfill
In order to protect the health and safety of the public and staff, the City will be restricting traffic flow at the Landfill by only allowing 10 vehicles in at one time. Residents are also asked to only use the site if they need to, maximize their loads to minimize trips to the site, and are encouraged to utilize the debit/credit tap function as their payment method to reduce contact.
Decisions on programs and services are being made on a daily basis. For the most up-to-date list of service changes, and additional city service information lines, visit: www.thunderbay.ca/coronavirus
For public health information, visit:
- www.ontario.ca/coronavirus – the Ontario Ministry of Health reports on the status of cases in Ontario each morning at 10:30 am.
- www.TBDHU.COM/coronavirus – the Health Unit’s website contains links to credible sources of information for both the public and local health care providers.
