Township of St. Clair
FAQ Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Updated April 7, 2020)
1. Who can I contact to report a crowd in excess of 5 people, or ANY OTHER COMPLAINT RELATED TO NON-COMPLIANCE WITH A COVID-19 ORDER?
Do Not Call 9-1-1 and do NOT call the Township. Please call the OPP at 1-888- 310-1122 or submit a report online at www.opp.ca/reporting.
2. Is there a fire-ban in the Township?
Not at this time. Backyard recreational fires are permitted subject to the regulations in Bylaw 55 of 2017. Burn Permits are still being reviewed and issued for agricultural fires. If you wish to secure a burn permit or view the bylaw, please visit the Bylaw portion of the Township website at https://stclairtownship.ca/government/by-laws-2/. If you have questions call Fire Administration at 519-481-0111.
3. Are the Township campgrounds open?
No, not at this time. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, they were scheduled to open on May 1, 2020. Due to the ever-evolving landscape of restrictions related to the pandemic, this date may be subject to change. Please refer to this document for updates.
4. Is the St. Clair River Trail open?
Bylaw 45 of 2018 restricts use of the Trail each year between November 30 and April 15. No restrictions have been enacted as a result of COVID-19. Once open, people who use the trail are required to preserve physical distancing measures.
5. Are Township buildings open to the public?
During the declared emergency related to the COVID-19 outbreak, all Township buildings will be closed to the public. Staff will continue to occupy most buildings and are available by telephone and email.
6. Is the Parkway Golf Course or its simulator open?
No. They are both closed until further notice.
7. Are Township parks open to the public?
All passive areas of all parks remain open to the public. All recreational facilities within all parks are closed to the public. This allows residents to use greenspaces in parks while observing physical distancing. All playground structures, picnic tables, pavilions, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, soccer pitches, and all other recreational features within all township parks are closed until further notice.
8. Can I actually flush these “flushable wipes” or other substitutes for toilet paper?
No! Often flushable wipes do not biodegrade as they are intended and clog up pumps in our sanitary system. It is very important we are only flushing toilet paper as all other substitutes create stress on the system and could cause it to fail. Please make sure you are NOT flushing paper towels or ANYTHING OTHER THAN TOILET PAPER down the toilet.
9. What if my local grocery store, or another local store, is not requiring and promoting physical distancing?
The municipality does not have jurisdiction to enforce Physical Distancing or any other such precaution within private enterprises. If you are concerned a local business is not doing their part, please speak to the store’s management.
If that does not produce a heightened precaution protocol, you can call 1-888-310- 1122, but at this time distancing measures are NOT an Order and are simply being communicated as a “best practice” to limit the spread of COVID-19.
10. Can I submit a Planning Act Application (Zoning Bylaw Amendment, Official Plan Amendment, Site Plan Application, Minor Variance or Consent Applications) while the Civic Centre is closed?
Yes. All such applications will ONLY be accepted by physical mail by the County of Lambton, or by physically depositing the application in their drop box. The mailing address for such applications is 789 Broadway Street, Box 3000, Wyoming, ON, N0N 1T0, ATTN: Planning Department. All applications must be accompanied by a cheque in the appurtenant amount and must be made out to the Township of St. Clair.
With all questions related to Site Plans, Planning policy, Official Plan Amendments, or Zoning Bylaw Amendments, please email Barry Uitvlugt at barry.uitvlugt@county-lambton.on.ca and for all questions related to Minor
Variance and Consent applications please email Ezio Nadalin at ezio.nadalin@county-lambton.on.ca.
Please Note: No public meetings for any planning applications will be held during this time. Once the bans have lifted and operations return to more familiar practice, meetings will be scheduled in sequence according to submission and the deeming of complete applications by our Planning Staff.
11. With the Civic Centre closed, how can I pay my water bill or my taxes?
You can add your water or tax accounts to most online bank payment programs for most banks and credit unions. During the office closure, we are accepting credit card payments over the phone.
Should you need to make other arrangements, please contact the tax department at 519-867-2024 or the water department at 519-867-2993.
12. How do I submit a tender with the Civic Centre closed?
If you are wishing to submit a tender that is NOT being accepted electronically, you can place a package in the drop box at the Civic Centre at 1155 Emily Street, Mooretown, ON. Packages that are too large to fit in the drop box opening can be placed in the container below the box.
Tenders that are being accepted electronically MUST be submitted in that format.
13. Has waste collection been disrupted during this time?
Not at this time. Waste collection will continue as normal until otherwise posted.