WHITEWATER REGION — The Township of Whitewater Region’s Municipal Emergency Control Group, comprised of Mayor Mike Moore, Reeve Cathy Regier, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Robert Tremblay and staff from key areas, meet regularly by teleconference to review the current situation involving novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Township continues to maintain essential services, by order of the Provincial Government, as they continue to monitor the situation with guidance from the Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) and other levels of government. Municipal flood preparations are also underway. In addition to the previous media releases and service changes listed below, the Township Administration Building at 44 Main Street in Cobden continues to be closed to the public until further notice.
The Acting Fire Chief will be removing the fire ban for a period of two weeks, which started on Friday, March 27. If you have a valid permit, you are required to contact the Township at 613-646-2282 every two weeks, if you are burning. They urge all residents to take the necessary precautions and have the means of extinguishment readily available. An online permit application is available on the Township’s website.
The municipal landfill at 90 Kohlsmith Road is closed for the safety of staff and the general public. Regular residential garbage and recycling should be placed, in keeping with the usual schedule, at curb-side. Please disinfect recycling containers after pick-up and avoid any contact with the curb-side contractor staff.
The Province of Ontario has issued a new emergency order to close all outdoor recreational amenities, effective immediately. Play structures are not to be used as they are not sanitized. The following facilities are now closed: baseball diamonds in the Villages of Beachburg, Cobden, Foresters Falls and Westmeath; beaches in the Village of Cobden and Little Lakes; boat launches at the Ottawa River in LaPasse, Westmeath and Acres Road, Muskrat Lake and Muskrat River in the Village of Cobden on Highway 17; facilities in the Villages of Beachburg, Cobden and Westmeath, which include arenas, the Cobden beach house, Foresters Falls Recreation Facility, including the baseball diamond and washrooms; the Tourist Booth; playgrounds and parks in the Villages of Beachburg, Foresters Falls, Haley Townsite, Lapasse and Veterans Memorial Parks; and trails and open space, specifically the Cobden Marsh Interpretive Trail and the Westmeath Scenic Lookout.
The Township continues to maintain essential services, by order of the Provincial Government, as we continue to monitor the situation with guidance from the Health Unit and other levels of government. Essential services including administration, permits, curb-side pick-up, fire response, water/sewer, and routine road maintenance continue to operate. Municipal flood preparations are also underway with the securing of sandbags.
The early bird rates for dog tags are extended to May 31. You can purchase your tag at local retailers or on our municipal website, where electronic payment and mail-out is available for a fee. Residents are directed to the Renfrew County and District Health Unit for information and guidance on COVID-19. Additional information will be shared as available on the municipal website.
The Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC) has launched to strengthen access to primary care for all Renfrew County residents. The RC VTAC is a collaboration between Renfrew County Primary Care teams, the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, Renfrew County Hospitals, and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit, with the support of Ontario Health East. If a person does not have a family physician or cannot access their family physician, direct them to call the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre at 1-844-727-6404 for care and support from a nurse practitioner, family physician and/or community paramedic. Learn more at www.rcvtac.ca.
The County of Renfrew declared a State of Emergency on Monday, March 30. Renfrew County Warden Debbie Robinson declared the state of emergency due to the global COVID-19 pandemic across the entirety of the County of Renfrew under the Emergency Management and Protection Act. This declaration of emergency will further assist the County of Renfrew in maintaining essential services and addressing the increasing threat of the COVID 19 outbreak in an effective manner. The declaration also evokes the County of Renfrew Emergency Response Plan and its Emergency Operations Centre. For up to date information and guidance on COVID-19, residents are directed to the Renfrew County & District Health Unit website at www.rcdhu.ca or the Province of Ontario’s site at www.covid-19.ontario.ca.
Municipal staff can be contacted by telephone, voicemail or email. A contact list is available on their website. Due dates for taxes, water/wastewater billing and accounts receivable remain unchanged. To provide relief during this difficult time, Council has approved that no penalty will be charged for March and April. With outstanding payments, residents can mail cheques to the Township via regular mail, utilize the after-hours drop box at 44 Main Street, or pay online or at your bank.
