Coronavirus: Non-essential campgrounds scheduled to close, including one near Brockville

Ontario will force more businesses to close in the province to stem the spread of COVID-19 and hopefully save more lives.

Some campgrounds will close and that has some people scrambling. The 1000 Islands/Mallorytown KOA Campground west of Brockville is one of them.

“We’re not saying to the government, ‘yes, we’re open for leisure camping.’ No, we’re trying to help out, we’re trying to do our part,” says Susan Marcoux, owner/operator of the campground.

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Susan Marcoux and her husband Richard say they are fully aware of the midnight Saturday deadline and know, in order to comply, the approximately 10 sets of campers will have to go.

Susan Marcoux says they’re all self-isolating.

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“I feel really, really bad that I have people here, they have to go because our government is doing this to us — it’s stupid. They want Canadians to come home but they’re not accepting them, they’re being treated like criminals, which is not the point of this whole exercise.”

Dave Van Stralen, one of those stranded snowbirds, says he and his wife continue to self-isolate in the Mallorytown park.

“It’s very frustrating when Premier Ford said that nobody would be forced out of their homes, and here we are with a government-ordered closure of the campground that provides us with the basis utilities — sewer, electric, water, that’s what we need,” Van Stralen says.

“We can be sufficient with our tanks and generator for a few days but then it runs out.”

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In Kingston, the Rideau Acres Campground is open with restrictions.

The City of Kingston says it’s a business that provides logistical support of services like the delivery of health care, in accordance with Schedule 2 of the latest order from the province regarding the closure of non-essential businesses.

The site was identified to host returning RV travellers from outside of Canada who must self-isolate for 14 days, by the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington medical officer of health and the city, with the cooperation of the owners.