With the May 24 long weekend looming, Huntsville’s Mayor Karin Terziano has some proactive advice for people who are thinking about visiting the cottage.
She echoes Premier Doug Ford in saying if you don’t have to come to cottage country don’t, but if you do come please bring your own supplies and self-isolate when you arrive.
“Think about everybody, whether you are a cottager or a permanent person,” she says. “Make sure that everybody is following the rules and practicing the social distancing and all the things that we’ve been doing for about eight weeks.”
Terziano says the Town is not asking cottagers to do anything they aren’t asking everyone to do.
She notes that a fire ban is still in effect throughout all of Muskoka and says it won’t be the traditional type of long weekend everyone knows and loves, full of bonfires and get-togethers.
“You know, it’s like five people or less and it’s not a weekend to bring your friends up and think about as a social weekend,” says the Mayor.
And while some businesses can now provide curbside delivery in addition to places like garden centres, nurseries and hardware stores that have been allowed to open, Terziano says since you’ve brought your supplies with you, it will help reduce any unnecessary travel.
“Again, the same as for everybody who is here year-round or seasonally,” says Terziano, “everybody needs to really just keep practising the social distancing, because we’re not past this yet.”
Looking forward to the rest of the summer, Huntsville’s Mayor stresses that safety measures we’re practising now will hopefully benefit all of us into the future.
“If we get lazy and if we start doing things we shouldn’t do now, chances are this is going to rebound or actually get worse for the summer,” she says. “So, a little bit of pain still now, in hopes of a better summer.”