Tennis courts, golf courses set to open

Controversial order closing amenities ends in time for long weekend

Toronto city staff will remove padlocks on tennis courts, open golf courses and take closure signs off recreation amenities in time for the long weekend.

Mayor John Tory in a statement Thursday thanked Premier Doug Ford for lifting, effective Saturday, the controversial outdoor amenity closure as part of a new framework to slowly ease COVID-19 restrictions.

Tory, other mayors, public health experts and Ford’s own scientific advisers have long urged the premier to reconsider the ban announced April 16 on outdoor activities including tennis, golf, skateboard parks and lawn bowling.

“City staff are working now to open those amenities for this weekend,” Tory said, calling the June 2 end of a provincial stayat-home order, and plans to end other restrictions when certain vaccination targets are met, a testament to Torontonians.

“The fight against COVID-19 continues along with our immunization efforts, but today we have the kind of clear road map forward we were seeking, so we could get on with safely and cautiously reopening,” Tory said.

A city news release states: “Work is underway to remove locks and signs from gated and locked amenities such as tennis courts ahead of Saturday.

“Other amenities such as sports fields, sports courts and fitness stations will be reopened through the removal of signs.”

Starting Saturday, the amenities will reopen with the requirement for people not in the same household to remain at least two metres apart.

“These amenities include, but are not limited to, golf courses and driving ranges, soccer and other sports fields, tennis and basketball courts and skate parks,” the city says. “Golf courses will be open for use effective Saturday, May 22.”

Also opening: disc golf courses, sports fields including baseball diamonds, BMX and skate parks, picnic tables and shelters, dry pads at outdoor artificial rinks.

Under provincial rules, no team sports will be permitted. Outdoor gatherings will be allowed with up to five people per group. Despite hot weather forecast for the weekend, pools and splash pads will remain closed.

Dr. Naheed Dosani, a Toronto health activist and palliative care physician, said “The news that people can gather outside for these sports and in up to groups of five is great news for people who are in need of a way to support their physical health and mental health as it has been a hard, long pandemic.”

But other parts of the reopening plan seem “arbitrary,” he added.

“The biggest mistake we can make now is not follow the science and end up in a place where people are getting sick because we were too loose with our criteria and opened too much, too early,” Dosani said.

Torontonians eager for outside exercise this weekend will get, in addition to newly opened recreation facilities, some roads closed to vehicle traffic under the city’s ActiveTO program that gives pedestrians and cyclists space to safely roam.