What’s open, closed on the Civic Holiday in Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara Region

The August long weekend is upon us and with temperatures expected to be in the mid-20s throughout, many of us will be enjoying three days of relaxation.

Celebrated on the first Monday of August, the Civic Holiday in Ontario is not a national statutory holiday, which means that despite the local government taking the day off, many businesses will be open.

Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara region are in Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan amid the coronavirus pandemic, which means wearing face coverings indoors and physical distancing are required when travelling across Southern Ontario.

Here’s what will be open and closed in the region on Monday:

Hamilton

Hamilton administrative offices: City hall will be closed on Monday. Most offices remain closed and events continue to be suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Hamilton.

Green bin, garbage and recycling: No collection on Monday, Aug. 3. Pickup will be one day later if it falls on or after the holiday. The city says all materials must be at the curb by 7 a.m.​

Recycling centres: Closed on Monday.

HSR bus: Buses will operate on regular Sunday/holiday service. Masks are required when travelling on city buses.

ATS-DARTS: DARTS are operating on holiday service hours. All subscription trips on DARTS, with the exception of dialysis, are cancelled for Aug. 3.

Hamilton Farmers’ Market: Closed on Monday. It will be open on Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

COVID-19 testing: The testing centre at Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena will be closed on Monday.

Recreation centres: All recreation centres, seniors’ centres and arenas will be closed Monday, Aug. 3.

Hamilton civic museums: Closed on Aug. 3.

Tourism Hamilton visitor information centre: Closed on Monday.

Hamilton Public Library: All branches closed on Aug. 3.

Social services: Housing services, as well as the Career Development Centre and Special Supports, are all closed.

Senior centres: Closed on Monday.

Arenas: Closed on Aug. 3.

Sports fields: Open for casual use, not organized play.

Pools: Indoor pools are closed. Outdoor pools and all splash pads will be open for the Civic Holiday on Monday. Due to COVID-19, there are capacity limits and pools will be closed regularly for cleaning.

Animal services: Closed on Monday.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope: The gallery, gift shop, runway café patio and main aircraft hangar are open, with limited capacity and other restrictions. Hours on Monday are from 10 a.m. to 4:p.m.

Burlington

Government offices: City hall, municipal offices and facilities will be closed on Aug. 3.

Administrative services: Services including parks, roads and forestry will be closed on Monday.

Public libraries: Closed on Aug. 3.

City pools, arenas and community centres: Indoor pools are closed. Arenas and community centres are closed.

Sports fields: Open for casual use, not organized play.

The Beachway: Will be open but with limited parking on-site. Entrances will be closed once the lot is full. Parking is free and for beach visitors only. Illegal parking fines are $250. Social distancing rules apply and the playground is open but not sanitized. The concession and universal changeroom are closed for renovations.

Halton Provincial Offences Court: Closed on Aug. 3.

Parking: Free parking is available in the downtown core in municipal lots and on-street parking. However, in areas around Caroline Street to Lakeshore Road and Burlington Avenue to Martha Street, parking is limited 20 minutes only. Lowville Park will have reduced parking capacity (50 per cent) to allow for physical distance spacing and prevent overcrowding. Nearby street parking is not permitted and parking enforcement will be in effect. Illegally parked vehicles will be tagged and/or towed.

Burlington Transit: Burlington Transit will operate on a holiday schedule. Non-medical masks or face coverings are mandatory. The downtown transit terminal, administrative offices, and specialized dispatch will be closed on Aug. 3.

Niagara Region

Government offices: Offices, including city hall, the Enterprise Centre and administrative offices, are closed on Monday. The parks, recreation and culture services administration offices are closed.

Community centres, all older adult centres and arenas: Port Weller Community Centre is open on Monday, with scheduled times for open gym, pickleball and youth basketball. Russell Avenue Community Centre continues to be open for washrooms only.

Sports fields: Open for casual use, not organized play.

Trails: Morningstar Mill and Decew Falls trails remain closed.

Playgrounds: Playgrounds are now open. Note that equipment isn’t sanitized.

Museums: St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre will be open but due to COVID-19 will require an appointment. The Welland Museum is closed.

Niagara Region transit: Buses in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls will be running on a holiday schedule Aug. 3. There will be no service for Welland, Fort Erie and the rest of Niagara Region.

Niagara Parks: A number of Niagara Parks tourist destinations are open on Monday, including Journey Behind the Fall, Niagara’s Fury and a number of restaurants. Here is a list of what has reopened amid the pandemic.

Pools: Port Dalhousie and Lincoln Park outdoor pools and all splash pads will be open for the Civic Holiday on Monday, with free admission. Due to COVID-19, there are capacity limits and pools will be closed regularly for cleaning. Regular admission and supervision standards are in effect.

Beaches: St. Catharines beach in Port Dalhousie; Sunset Beach, Nickel Beach in Port Colborne; and Charles Daley Park in Lincoln are open on Aug. 3, but only to residents of Niagara Region. Beach capacity is limited, as is the number of parking spots available. Vehicles will be fined or towed for parking where prohibited.

Golf: Garden City is open by appointment only. Legends on the Niagara, Oak Hall and the Whirlpool golf courses will be open on Aug. 3. Battlefield will be closed.

Shopping

Canada Post: Outlets are closed on Aug. 3. Mail collection and delivery is cancelled on Monday.

Grocery stores: Major grocery stores like Fortinos, Metro, Fresh Co. and No Frills will be open on Aug. 3 with reduced hours.

Shoppers Drug Mart: Many locations will be open Aug. 3, but not all. Hours can be seen on the Shoppers store locator map.

Malls: All major shopping centres in Hamilton, Burlington, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, including Lime Ridge Mall, Eastgate Square, The Centre on Barton, The Pen Centre, Fairview Mall, Mapleview Centre and Burlington Centre will be open on Monday.

Greater Toronto Area malls, as well as outlet malls in Niagara, will be open on Aug. 3, including CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, Pacific Mall in Toronto, and Outlet Collection at Niagara Falls.

Walmart: Walmarts will be open on Aug. 3.

Alcohol

The Beer Store: Select stores across the region will be open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

LCBO: All stores are closed on Aug. 3.

Toronto tourist destinations:

• Toronto Zoo’s Scenic Safari Drive-Thru is open, but tickets must be purchased in advance online and are timed.
• Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada — open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with timed ticket purchases online.
• Aga Khan Museum — open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the purchase of a timed ticket online.