Canada Day 2021 will likely be as quiet as it was in 2020 with the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and a call for muted celebrations in recognition of Indigenous Peoples after the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools in B.C. and Saskatchewan.
On Thursday, Ontario will be in Step 2 of a reopening plan which allows for the expansion of outdoor activities, opening of non-essential retail, malls, and some personal care services.
Yet most southern Ontario municipalities are recommending that activities involving retail should be completed as soon as possible to avoid COVID-19 risks.
If you do need to go out, here’s what will be open and closed in the region on Canada Day:
Hamilton
Hamilton administrative offices: Offices will be closed on July 1.
City parks: In the interest of public health and safety, residents should not use any closed areas such as play structures or waterfalls.
Green bin, garbage and recycling: No collection on Thursday. 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 Thursday.
HSR bus: Buses will operate on regular Sunday/holiday service. Masks are required when travelling on city buses. Buses will return to a regular weekday schedule on Friday, July 2.
ATS-DARTS: DARTS are operating on holiday service hours. All subscription trips on DARTS, with the exception of dialysis, are cancelled for July 1.
Hamilton Farmers’ Market: Closed on Thursday. It will be open on Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Recreation centres: All in-person Recreation Centre and Senior Centre programming is cancelled and will be reviewed as part of Step 3 of Ontario’s roadmap to reopening.
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Hamilton civic museums: Closed on Thursday.
Tourism Hamilton visitor information centre: Closed on July 1.
Hamilton Public Library: All branches closed on Thursday.
Social services: Housing services, as well as the Career Development Centre and Special Supports, are all closed.
Senior centres: Closed on July 1.
Arenas: Closed.
Animal services: Closed on Thursday.
Burlington
Government offices: City hall, municipal offices and facilities will be closed on July 1.
Administrative services: Services including parks, roads and forestry will be closed on Thursday.
City pools, arenas and community centres: Outdoor Pools and splash pads are open, though pre-registration is required 25 hours prior to the start of any swim. Community centres are closed.
Halton Provincial Offences Court: Closed on July 1.
Parking: Free parking is available downtown, on the street, in municipal lots and in the parking garage (414 Locust St.) on Canada Day. The Waterfront parking lots (east and west at 1286 Lakeshore Rd.) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays.
Burlington Transit: Burlington Transit will operate a Sunday schedule on Canada Day. The downtown terminal at 430 John St. and Specialized Dispatch will be closed on Thursday.
Niagara Region
Government offices: Offices, including city hall, the Enterprise Centre and administrative offices, are closed. The parks, recreation and culture services administration offices are also closed on Thursday.
Community centres, all older adult centres and arenas: These facilities are all closed.
Museums: St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre are closed on Thursday. The Welland Museum is also closed.
Niagara Region transit: Niagara Falls and St Catharines Public Transit will both be on holiday schedules Welland Transit will not be running.
Niagara Parks: A number of Niagara Parks tourist destinations are reopening on Canada Day, including Niagara City Cruises by Hornblower, Whirlpool Aero Car and a number of restaurants. Visit niagaraparks.com for a list of what has reopened and will be reopening amid the pandemic.
Pools: Most outdoor pools in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls have opened but require reservations. A majority of the pools have a number of COVID-19 protocols still in place, including coronavirus screenings, limited access to the change rooms, and no benches or diving boards. Pools are typically evacuated every hour for COVID-19 cleaning measures.
Beaches: St. Catharines’ beaches are open but have limits in capacity and in some cases only offer free parking for residents.
Shopping
Canada Post: Outlets are closed on July 1. There will be no mail collection or delivery on Canada Day.
Grocery stores: Major grocery stores like Fortinos, Metro, Fresh Co. and No Frills will be closed on July 1 in Hamilton, St. Catharines and Burlington. However, most grocery chains will be open in Niagara Falls.
Shoppers Drug Mart: Many locations will be open July 1, 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 closed on Canada Day.
However, some Greater Toronto Area malls, as well as outlet malls in Niagara, will be open on July 1:
- CF Toronto Eaton Centre: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills: Open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Pacific Mall in Toronto: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Outlet Collection at Niagara Falls: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Walmart: Most Walmarts will be closed on July 1. However, Niagara Falls Supercentre will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Alcohol
The Beer Store: 84 stores across Ontario will be open. Here a list for each in the Hamilton-Niagara regions:
- Hamilton: 282 Parkdale Ave. N., 1111 Barton St. E/, 959 Fennell Ave. E., 75 Centennial Pkwy N., 150 Barton St. E., and 1408 Upper James St.
- Burlington: 2025 Guelph Line and 5051 New St.
- St. Catharines: 99 Dieppe Rd.
- Niagara Falls: 6757 Lundy’s Lane
LCBO: All stores are closed on July 1.
Toronto tourist destinations
- Toronto Zoo – outdoor areas are open with COVID measures. Reservations are required and can be booked online. No tickets are sold on-site.
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