As part of our ongoing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, and in keeping with the Province of Ontario’s declaration of a State of Emergency, the City of Stratford has closed its administrative buildings to the public, until further notice. The City will continue to provide services to the community, including Social Services to our clients in Stratford, Perth County and St. Marys.
List of Services Being Provided
| Cemetery Operations |
| Cemetery operations continue to be provided. For questions please call 519-271-0250 Ext. 244. |
| Parks and Recreational Amenities and Facilities |
Recreational AmenitiesThe following recreational amenities and facilities are now open:
Please follow the guidance of public health professionals when using these amenities, and maintain proper physical distancing. Other City of Stratford facilities and amenities will be reopened at the appropriate time within the province's framework, and when resources are available. The parks system continues to be maintained and green spaces in parks, trails and river areas remain open for walk-through access, but individuals must maintain a safe distance of at least two metres apart from others while in these areas. Public WashroomsOn June 6, the City of Stratford began a staged approach to the re-opening of its public washrooms. The first stage of the re-opening included the washrooms at:
Those facilities will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and will be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
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Transit |
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Stratford Transit will continue to operate and we are directing riders to enter and exit only through the back door of the buses. Those with mobility issues can still enter from the front door, where the ramp/kneeling options are available, but we ask those individuals to practice social distancing from our drivers. All riders are asked to wear a mask, if they are able. Payment is not required to ride, and bypassing the fare box will help to reinforce social distancing on the buses for our drivers and members of the public. This will continue until the end of the day August 30, 2020, after which we will re-assess the situation. |
| Property Taxes |
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The City will be waiving penalty and interest related to the April 9 property tax installment due-date and will be stopping all progressive collection activities until August 30, 2020. This will give residents and businesses a chance to make payments when they can over the next 4 months. The City will review this on an ongoing basis and continue to be responsive to the needs of our community. We ask residents that have the financial means to make their tax payments by the tax due date to do so. Statements can be requested by emailing the Tax Division. Pre-authorized payment for property taxes can be submitted to: www.stratford.ca/preauthorized. |
| Licensing |
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Pet, business and lottery licencing will continue. Applications can be submitted via email Clerk's Office or completed over the telephone 519-271-0250 Ext. 237. Payments by credit card can also be made over the phone or a cheque can be mailed to the Clerk's Office, City Hall, P.O. Box 818, 1 Wellington Street, Stratford, ON N5A 6W1 or placed in the drop box at the back of City Hall. |
| Commissionings, Marriage Licences and Civil Ceremonies |
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Starting Monday, July 27, 2020 the following services will be provided by appointment only:
For more information on how to book an appointment please visit the following pages or contact the Clerk's Office at 519-271-0250 Ext 237: |
| Parking |
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Free parking has been extended in the downtown core until August 30, 2020. What does this mean?It means you do not have to pay the meter or machine, but maximum parking time limits remain in effect.I What is a parking time limit?This means if you are parking in an area with a 4-hour limit you MUST move your vehicle before the 4 hour time limit has expired. Failure to do so could result in a parking ticket being issued. All maximum parking time limits are being enforced. All other provisions of the By-law, including no-parking and no-stopping, will remain in effect as well and will be enforced from Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information on parking in the downtown core, please visit the City’s website or contact the Clerk’s Office. Parking Ticket Payment:Payments for parking tickets and permits can be made by credit card over the telephone at 519-271-0250 Ext. 237. Cheques can also be mailed to the Clerk's Office, City Hall, P.O. Box 818, 1 Wellington Street, Stratford, ON N5A 6W1 or placed in the drop box at the back of City Hall. Requests for Review:Requests for a parking ticket review can be completed over the telephone or through the City’s website at: https://forms.stratford.ca/IT-Services/Clerks-Corporate-Services/Request-for-Review |
| Development Services (Planning) |
The following services are being provided.
Planning Applications and Public Council MeetingsFor applications requiring a public council meeting, the City will hold these meetings electronically in accordance with the City's Procedure By-law and applicable legislation. The protocols for electronic public meetings are available in the attached document: Stratford City Council Public Meeting COVID-19 Electronic Meetings Protocol. Committee of AdjustmentApplications to be considered by the City's Committee of Adjustment Committee will held electronically in accordance with the Committee's Procedure By-law and applicable legislation. The protocols for electronic Committee of Adjustment meetings are available in the attached document: Committee of Adjustment Meeting COVID-19 Electronic Meetings Protocol. Digital applications should be submitted to Planning Services. |
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Development Services (Building & Municipal Law Enforcement) |
Permit ApplicationsPermit applications are still being processed and Building Permits are being issued in accordance with the time frames listed in the Ontario Building Code. For information on applying for a Building Permit please click the following link: https://www.stratford.ca/en/inside-city-hall/building.aspx#Applying-for-a-Building-Permit Electronic applications can be submitted on the City of Stratford Building Permit Application, while hardcopy submissions will continue to be accepted at the City Hall Annex, located at 82 Erie Street, Stratford Ontario, N5A 2M4. Only 1 method of submission is required for each permit. We are Open for Business. To contact Building Services staff please call 519-271-0250 x345 or email us at Building Services. We will be looking to resume full Inspection services in the near future and will continue to complete inspections when safe to do so. The health and safety of our residents, customers, and staff is our key priority. We also acknowledge that the construction industry is an essential part of supporting our local and provincial economy and reducing homelessness. Additional InformationFor unsafe buildings requiring immediate attention or for unsafe pool fences, call 519-271-0250 Ext. 345 |
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Roads and Streets |
The following activities related to roads and streets are continuing:
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| Waste and Recycling Collection |
Curbside Garbage and Recycling CollectionThere is no change to curbside garbage and recycling collection. Bag tags are still required to be purchased and placed on your bags. Bag Tag DeliveryAs retailers have reopened to the public, the City of Stratford will no longer deliver bag tags. Tags can be purchased in person at City Hall, or at any of the locations listed below. Where to Purchase Bag TagsBag Tags can also be purchased at the following locations:
Green BinGreen Bin collection began the week of April 6, 2020. This is a weekly collection. Clearly marked compostable plastic bags, paper bags or newspaper can be used as liners. LandfillLandfill operations are open to the public effective April 14, 2020. The Landfill will be open weekdays for garbage drop-off during regular hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Payment for garbage dropoff will be contactless, by credit or debit only. Cash will not be accepted. Leaf and Yard Waste, Recyclables, E-Waste and textiles are being accepted. |
| Water Operations, Wastewater Treatment and Sewers |
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The City will be waiving penalties, interest, late payment charges and other fees related to water and sewer billing and will be suspending all progressive collection activities until August 30, 2020. In addition, water meter disconnections will be suspended until August 30, 2020. The transfer of overdue water accounts to the property tax account will also be suspended to assist landlords. Emergency repairs and ongoing required operations will continue. This includes operations around water quality, spills, floods, and storm response, along with emergency water shutoff/repair and sewer lateral services. To report:
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| Emergency Services |
| Essential and emergency services will continue to be provided. |
| Fire Services |
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If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 9-1-1. Fire services will be responding to all emergency calls. If your call is not an emergency, please call 519-271-3212 or email Fire Dispatch. Burn permits are being issued by appointment only at this time. |
| Airport |
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The airport is open but the terminal is closed to the public. Questions about the airport can be directed to the Operations Manager, Andy Woodham, at (519) 272-0933. |
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Homelessness Prevention |
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Emergency Housing will continue to be provided to clients if they are eligible for services. The limit of emergency nights in motel stays will be waived for homeless persons who require emergency accommodation for self-isolation. |
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Housing Services |
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All maintenance work orders will be prioritized to focus on essential services (e.g. plumbing, electrical, unit repairs required to meet Ontario Building Code, Fire Code, security, etc.). Should a rent geared to income tenant experience a loss of income during this period, they should contact our office at 519-271-3773 Ext. 200. No cash or debit options are available at this time. Rent will only be acceptable by pre-authorized payments (excluding Britannia), cheque or money order. Cheques and money orders can be submitted in the drop boxes at 82 Erie St., Stratford or 330 Wallace St., Listowel or sent by mail. |
| Ontario Works |
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All appointments will be completed over the telephone, 519-271-3773 Ext. 200, with signatures on the form required at a later date. A risk-based approach will be utilized for completing these intakes, as documents can be provided after the grant date unless there is clear evidence that the client may be ineligible due to excess earnings or assets. Clients may submit documents via the drop boxes at the following locations:
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Questions about Services |
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For questions about services being provided, please contact the City departments:
Questions can also be submitted by email to the Clerk's office. |
Facilities
| Facilities that are OPEN to the public |
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| Facilities that are CLOSED to the public |
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| Stratford Public Library |
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The Stratford Public Library building is closed to the public, but there are a number of services that continue to be offered, including new card registrations, card renewals, and email reference service at askspl@pcin.on.ca. The book drop is open, and patrons can place holds on materials over the phone and through the online catalogue. Curbside pickup of materials is now available Monday to Saturday. Digital collections continue to be offered including access to thousands of downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, streaming videos, online magazines and research magazines. Find these resources on the library website. No late fees will occur during the library closure and customers are requested to keep checked out materials with them until the library reopens. |
Meetings, Programs and Events
| Meetings, programs and events that have been CANCELLED until further notice |
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