The Creemore
ECHO
Friday, July 31, 2020 Vol. 20 No. 31
www.creemore.com
News and views in and around Creemore
INSIDE THE ECHO
Letter rip
Opinions keep coming PAGE 2
Slow down
Delayed decision on speed PAGE 4
Publications Mail Agreement # 40024973
Talk of ATV conflict of interest off the table at council
Photio: Bonnie MacPherson
Daycare space limited by COVID
By Bonnie MacPherson Even as the province continues to ease restrictions on licensed childcare centres, Teddy Bears Picnic Children’s Centre in Creemore is currently operating at just over one third of pre-COVID-19 capacity. According to Teddy Bears Director, Shannon Hatherley, before the facility shut down on March 16, they served a total of 66 children, both part time and full time. Since the centre reopened July 6, that number has been reduced to 24 full time spaces. Guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Education would have allowed an increase from 10 children per cohort to 15 effective this week, but Hatherley says they are taking things slowly to ensure everyone stays safe.
Perhaps the most visible change for families using Teddy Bears Picnic is the pick-up and drop-off procedure. Parents are no longer permitted inside classrooms, so a screener is posted at the entrance to check temperatures of parents and children each morning, and go through a set of health screening questions. Once children are inside, staff are working to make the daycare experience as normal as possible, even as they keep children separated by cohort. Hatherley says the one thing children really miss is the group walks through the community which used to be a regular part of the Teddy Bears routine. COVID-19 guidelines from the Ministry of Health and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit require
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that daycare staff be limited to a single cohort, which is impacting overall staffing levels. As a result the hours at Teddy Bears have been reduced. Previously, they operated from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. New hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hatherley says as a daycare centre, constant cleaning was always the norm, but now everything must be documented. Clearview Township Council is keeping a close eye on the availability of childcare in the area. In a recent report, Ward One Councillor Phyllis Dineen noted that early in the pandemic, 143 licensed childcare centres in Simcoe County had closed. While most have now reopened, albeit with reduced capacity, availability of (See “Hard” on page 3)
By Bonnie MacPherson Clearview Township staff has been instructed to draft a bylaw that will give greater access to township roads for All Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s) and Side by Sides (SxS). The original motion, calling for access to all Clearview roads, was proposed by Councillor John Broderick, who owns a business which sells ATVs. Broderick said while it is not certain that the change will have an impact on his business, it will undoubtedly have a positive impact on Clearview restaurants, gas stations and other businesses; it will be a good thing for tourism and branding which will ultimately benefit everyone. He advised council that he has corresponded with the township’s Integrity Commissioner and is satisfied that he can deal with this issue in a manner separate form his business interests. Mayor Doug Measures confirmed that he spoke to the Integrity Commissioner in response to a question from the media. He was advised that each member of council is responsible for their own decisions on conflict of interest questions, in line with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and council’s own Code of Conduct. Measures told the meeting that the Code of Conduct precludes sitting council members from asking conflict questions of other councillors. Councillor Doug McKechnie described Broderick’s motion as nuclear option – all or nothing. As council’s representative on the Creemore BIA, McKechnie expressed concern that the BIA has worked hard to create a charming small town feel that is not consistent with the presence of ATVs on Mill Street. Councillors Robert Walker and Connie Leishman both suggested that some restrictions are appropriate, (See “Burton” on page 3)