The Thanksgiving Day long weekend is upon us and that means not everything will be open on Monday.
Ontario is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a number of Hamilton and Niagara family/group attractions that will be open require face coverings and have physical distancing rules.
If you’re hoping to knock off some errands or just get out and do something here’s a list of what’s open and what’s closed in Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara Region on Oct. 12.
Hamilton
Government offices such as city hall, banks, municipal offices, facilities and most businesses will be closed on Monday.
Canada Post locations will be closed and mail collection and delivery is cancelled for Monday.
Green bin, garbage and recycling: No collection on Monday. 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.
HSR Bus: Transit will be operating on a Sunday/holiday schedule on Monday. Many routes will be operating with reduced frequencies while some routes will not be operating at all. Face coverings are required on the HSR.
ATS-DARTS: Service will be operating with holiday service hours on Thanksgiving Day. Subscription trips on DARTS, with the exception of dialysis, are cancelled for Monday. ATS customer service will also be closed on Monday.
Recycling centres: Closed on Monday.
Administrative offices: Closed on Monday.
Municipal Service Centres in Ancaster, City Hall, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook, and Stoney Creek: Closed on Monday.
Recreation centres: All recreation centres, and arenas will be closed Monday
Hamilton civic museums: Closed on Monday.
Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse: Closed on Monday.
Tourism Hamilton visitor information centre: Closed Monday.
Hamilton Public Library: Closed Sunday and Monday.
Social services: All Ontario Works offices, career development centres, special supports and the Housing Services office will be closed on Monday.
Senior centres: Closed on Monday.
Arenas: Closed to public programming on Monday. Public skating is not likely until the new year due to the pandemic.
Pools: All of the city’s pools will be closed on Monday.
Animal services: Closed Sunday and Monday.
Burlington
Government offices such as city hall, banks, municipal offices, facilities and most businesses will be closed on Monday.
Administrative services, including the Office of Roads and Parks Maintenance, will be closed on Monday, though emergency services for maintenance will still be provided.
Indoor swimming pools will be closed, except Angela Coughlan Pool, which will all be open on Monday. Pre-registration is required.
Arenas and most community centres will be closed on Monday.
Roads, Parks and Forestry as well as Animal Shelter and Control will be closed Monday, but emergency services are available for both.
Halton Court Services will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as well as Provincial Offences Court.
Free parking is available on the street in the downtown core, in municipal lots and at the parking garage. The Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays.
Burlington Transit will be operating a holiday service schedule on Monday, while the service’s administrative offices, including the downtown transit terminal and Handi-Van dispatch, will be closed. Schedules and specialized booking are available at burlingtontransit.ca
Niagara Region
Government offices such as city hall, banks, municipal offices, facilities and most businesses will be closed on Monday.
Administrative offices, public health clinics and child care centres will be closed.
Garbage and recycling collection schedules are unaffected by the holiday.
Landfill and Recycling drop-off depots in Fort Erie, Welland, Thorold, and Niagara Falls will be open 8:a.m. to 4:p.m. The site at West Lincoln will be closed.
Community centres, all older adult centres and arenas will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, including Enterprise Centre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and Meridian Centre.
The Parks, Recreation and Culture Services administration offices are closed.
Outdoor pools are closed for the season. The St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Centre will be closed.
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre will be open all weekend, as well as Thanksgiving Day Monday. In order to ensure the health and safety of the guests and staff, entry will be timed and the museum will be closed regularly for cleaning.
The Lakeside Park Carousel is closed.
Most golf courses in the St. Catharines area and Niagara Falls will be open for bookings only on Monday. However, enhanced health and safety processes are in place. Garden City golf course golf course will be open from 7 a.m. to dusk all weekend, including Monday.
Port Weller Community Centre and the Russell Avenue Community Centre Centre will be closed on Sunday and Monday.
Playgrounds are open. However, parents should note that equipment isn’t sanitized. Sports fields are closed.
Buses in Niagara Falls will run on a holiday schedule similar to Sunday routes.
Buses in St. Catharines will run on a reduced holiday schedule.
Niagara Region Transit and Niagara Specialized Transit will not be operating on Monday.
St. Catharines and Niagara Falls COVID-19 Assessment Centres will be open for the long weekend, including Monday. The Welland Assessment Centre will not be open during the weekend. Visit www.niagarahealth.on.ca for more information.
Shopping
Grocery stores: Major grocery stores like Fortinos, Metro, Fresh Co. and No Frills will be closed on Monday in the Hamilton-Niagara area.
Shoppers Drug Mart: Many locations will be open Oct. 12, 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 and Burlington Centre will be closed on Monday. However, some Greater Toronto Area malls, as well as outlet malls in Niagara, will be open on Monday.
- CF Toronto Eaton Centre: open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday
- Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills: open from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday
- Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket: open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday
- Pacific Mall in Toronto: open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday
- Outlet Collection at Niagara Falls: open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday
Walmart: Most Walmarts will be closed on Monday except for the Niagara Falls Supercentre, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Hamilton Farmers’ Market: Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Alcohol
The Beer Store: All stores closed on Monday.
LCBO: All stores closed on Monday.
Movie Theatres
Most major movie theatres will be open on Monday amid the pandemic including:
- Cineplex Cinemas on Hamilton Mountain, SilverCity Burlington, Niagara Square Cinemas,
- Landmark Cinemas at Jackson Square and Pen Centre
However, on-location box offices are closed. Tickets can be bought through an app, online, or at a self-serve kiosk.
Reserve seating is also in effect, and concessions are limited with VIP food services reduced in scope.
Other attractions
A number of Hamilton and Niagara attractions will be open on Thanksgiving Day. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, all locations require face coverings and have physical distancing rules for groups.
- The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope will be closed.
- Toronto tourist destinations such as the Ripley’s Aquarium, and the Toronto Zoo will be open. The Hockey Hall of Fame and CN Tower are closed on Monday.
- Most Niagara Falls attractions will be running on the holiday Monday, including the Voyage to the Falls Boat Tour, Journey Behind the Falls, Botanical Gardens, Butterfly Conservatory and the Falls Illumination.