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So not sure what is actually happening with cottages
This article says you can go.
This one says don’t go
Good luck everyone.
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BlogTO just has a bad headline but when you read the quotes from Ford it says the same thing.
If you read between the lines Ford is basically saying we don't want anyone going to their cottages, but we know that's not going to happen, so please at least be smart about it and practice proper social distancing. And only for 'seasonal residents', not 'visitors' or 'tourists'.
The general public is ready for restrictions to start easing up, not the opposite, so instead of making it illegal to travel to cottages, he's making an unwilling compromise.
"I know Ontarians are eager to enjoy the great outdoors, but there will be plenty of long weekends to come"
^ in other words, "we really prefer if everyone just stays home still".
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I mostly agree with Trippy's phrasing, but different publications use the same quotes to emphasize different biases. Some of those articles emphasize the "go ahead but be responsible" messaging, while others emphasize the "don't go unless you need to" while completely failing to address what defines 'need' which can be anything from checking for break ins, making sure docks are still secured after the ice is out, clearing a tree that came down on a building, etc, etc, etc to the folks who just need some fresh air.
There never has been an outright 'ban' on going to your cottage. No emergency order has been put in place in Ontario prohibiting going to a cottage, or anywhere else for that matter. There are business closures such as marinas that physically block access to water access cottages, but nothing that legally physically blocks access to any cottage with direct road access.
There continues to be ambiguous and confusing messaging about staying home but we won't stop you from going.
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I live on Sturgeon Lake near Bobcaygeon and seasonal cottages have been going strong on the weekends since Easter. I've had to remind a few people that we still have a total fire ban in place though they are planning to lift this weekend I think. If anything some cottages have actually been busier than normal as owners began arriving sooner than the May long weekend which is often when things usually kick into high gear. Boat traffic on the other hand is certainly down. Many boats stuck in the marinas I suppose. In general I am fine with people using their properties, they own them. But they should come fully stocked with everything they need to have limited local impact (the same thing i would do if and when i can head to Algonquin). The ones that do bug me are the 4 cars that roll up on Friday night for the weekend.
