Welcome to another Mayor’s Blog update on COVID-19 operations. Like many bloggers – I get a bit sporadic with my posts, and I have taken to video for some of my updates to the community since my last posting.

That does not betray a lack of action! Since my last post, many things have come to our attention and have been or are being handled. More and more of my work happens from my home office, which has delighted me with views of very busy birds and squirrels in the last few weeks!

Here is an update:

• The Municipality is pleased to announce that, after a process that at times frustrated me as your Mayor, an Emergency Child Care centre will be opened in North Perth this week. We will be one of the smaller communities in Ontario opening such a centre. Please review the various announcements made by the Municipality, and reach out, using the qualifying tools available through the City of Stratford, should you wish to confirm your family’s eligibility for the service.
• With CAO Kriss Snell and Community Development Co-ordinator Kim Kowch, I have held several calls with both the business and agriculture communities in North Perth for the sharing of updates and the generation of ideas to support quality of place during the pandemic period. These teleconferences have been quite effective, and suggestions coming from them are being actively worked on. They will continue until interest or need wanes.
• As one suggestion we heard from our calls with agriculture, we have acted with remarkable speed and are pleased to announce the imminent launch of an online marketplace called ShopLocalNorthPerth. This venture, approved by me under the emergency authority provided by our State of Emergency, will have what I hope is great reach – and will serve as your digital source for local shopping and farmgate sales. We owe it to our community to make it possible for our local businesses to survive through the pandemic period and its recovery, so I urge you when doing your online shopping, to take advantage of this new service. Help your neighbours! Buy local.
• A staff team has reached out to collect some data and provide some support for restaurants and prepared meal service providers in North Perth. Like many on Council, I have heard from some of you regarding closed restaurants that have chosen not to offer take-out services in the early period of the pandemic. I have initiated action to both collect data and to encourage action. I have been heartened by the good response of our local restaurants – and encourage you to support them through this pandemic period when you crave a break from home cooking.
• Police and a number of citizens have noted an increase in the number of speeding incidents and property and domestic crimes in North Perth. It is not unique to our community, but happening throughout Perth County. Enforcement by OPP for traffic act violations is escalating, along with an increase in community foot patrols by officers. Please – don’t drive under the influence of an intoxicant, and mind your speed.
• Construction projects deemed essential are underway. We have two active sites – the Kincaid/Hwy 23 intersection upgrade and the Northwestern Listowel Drain project (aka Albert St. Drain). I have explained our rationale for these projects in a video. Active construction has begun. There are expected impacts on the North Perth Trail system resulting from the latter project, and our Recreation team is suggesting a number of alternatives when the trail is closed due to the construction.
• All levels of government are at various stages of producing Recovery Plans. Locally, we have been talking about various actions to support recovery since the pandemic period was launched. At our next Emergency Control Group meeting – scheduled for May 4, 2020 – we will begin formulating an approach to recovery that includes the establishment of working groups addressing various elements of the recovery. If you are interested in voluntary service as an advisor to your community about recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, please send a note to North Perth Clerk Patricia Berfelz (pberfelz@northperth.ca) – she is now taking names, and we expect more details next week.
• We continue with select hiring operations and have gotten savvy about using digital technologies to support candidate interviews.
• We are exploring various opportunities related to community gardens and backyard gardens. Ontario has deemed that community gardens may be opened and managed this spring, subject to health guidance to be provided by the local Health Unit. Efforts are underway to collect that guidance.
• Select work has resumed at our two new child care centre sites. This is authorized construction work considered essential.
• Routine maintenance of our parks – including spring landscaping preparations and lawn cutting – will occur. The parks themselves remain closed to public use until the province tells us otherwise. That, however, does not keep you from walks, appropriately distanced, in your neighbourhoods or on North Perth trails.
• We have not, to this date, been severely impacted by the mixture of increased municipal costs and decreased revenues being reported by larger municipalities. A more significant report on the financial circumstances of our pandemic period operations is expected for next week’s Emergency Control Group meeting.

Now for a few key thoughts about recovery. In due course, it is expected that the province will ease its restrictions on gatherings, and begin to allow various businesses and organizations to reopen their doors. This will prove an interesting period – because I remain convinced that the COVID-19 pandemic period, and its associated new approaches to hygiene and socialization, have changed some of us for the long-term. One of the things very much on my mind is the possible differences of opinion in the post-COVID-19 period that will emerge in broader society. Some will want to roll the clock back and will expect our lives to be similar to what they were before March, 2020. (This will be fuelled by the easing of restrictions by the Province of Ontario.) Others will be maintaining physical distancing and public engagement precautions, to varying degrees, that have been observed in the last two months. Some may well choose not to enter a physical store again! Until a vaccine or an effective drug therapy is released to the public, we will live in the shadow of this virus. And those differences in attitude towards recovery and the precautions we’ve been told to observe related to hygiene – well, we’ll need to manage them. I want you to know that we are talking about this in our recovery planning. I acknowledge that some things just aren’t likely to return to “the old ways”. We sadly may disagree with family or neighbours about “the best practices” moving forward. As I have often encouraged, we will need a lot of civility as we recover from this. And that will apply to those differences of opinion about the hygiene and distancing practices we adopt when governments no longer mandate the same. There is no “right” response here but to be kind and good to each other. We need to preserve our own dignity and health, and acknowledge that others deserve dignity, even when making decisions different than our own. What is truly needed, in the face of these potential challenges, is effective skills in conversation and reservation of judgment.

INVITATIONS:

I have indicated that I want to hold a Virtual Town Hall meeting for all interested residents of North Perth. Please make a commitment to join us Monday, May 4 online – from 5 to 6 pm. Details about joining the meeting will be provided shortly, but in advance, please send your questions and topics for discussion to Jessica Johnson (jjohnson@northperth.ca).

I introduced the North Perth ArtsConnection, a virtual arts-sharing initiative to support our mood and showcase community talent. If you want to share music videos or recordings, art and photos during the COVID-19 period to bring a little cheer to all of our community, I’d like to hear from you – toddkasenberg@northperth.ca. I’d particularly urge our young artists to contribute!

If you are experiencing difficulties with the essential activities of daily living, we may be able to help. Call us at 519-291-2950 or reach out via the website – if we can’t directly support you, we probably know who can!

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