The City of Toronto will be conducting an enforcement blitz over the holiday weekend to ensure people are following physical distancing rules in parks and other city facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Toronto Police Service said its officers will be taking part in the blitz, along with city crews.
Two-hundred bylaw officers will be participating, along with 160 Toronto police members.
Parking enforcement officers will also be patrolling to see if vehicles are parked in closed-off areas.
Police said they will be focusing on the following parks:
- Bluffer’s Park
- Rosetta McClain Gardens
- High Park
- Humber Bay East
- Christie Pits
- Trinity Bellwoods
- Woodbine Beach
- Allan Gardens
- Sunnybrook Park
- Sherwood Park
Easter and Passover are both being marked this weekend.
Park amenities remain closed in Toronto amid the pandemic. A bylaw is also currently in effect banning people from being within two metres of one another in public parks and squares. The law applies to those who do not live with each other.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has prohibited gatherings of more than five people.
“While we are encouraged by the compliance we are seeing and the responsible actions people are taking, we continue to see people not taking these measures seriously and not acting in compliance,” police said in a news release.
“Officers have various enforcement tools available to them, based on the circumstances, including tickets of up to $1,000.”
Last weekend, a similar enforcement blitz was held, which resulted in nearly 2,500 people being spoken to and around 30 tickets being issued.