East Algoma Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is extending its checks on outdoor gatherings, including local outdoor skating rinks after the provincial government announced a state of emergency and will be bringing in stay-at-home rules as of 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, said Community Safety Officer Constable Phil Young today.
He said OPP will be performing checks on all outdoor rinks to ensure only five people are using the rinks at any given time, including the rink at Spruce Beach.
OPP officers will issue fines if anyone is found violating the new rules. The fines are in lockstep with fines now enforce on ice fishing huts.
It is similar to a warning issued by police for those using ice fishing earlier this week.
Those new regulations state that more than five people at an ice hut, including people from different residences, is illegal.
The ice hut owner can be charged with failure to comply with continued section 7.0.2 order, contrary to section 10(1)(a) of the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020.
The charge is a ticket with a fine of $750 plus surcharge, totalling $880.
Ice hut regulations during the lockdown include:
• All reservations for temporary accommodations (including ice huts) had to have been made before Dec. 26, 2020;
• Those staying in an ice hut, whether rented or not, must be from the same residence (exception is that a person who lives alone and who has a different address can join the group); and
• No outdoor gatherings of over five people.
For more information about these ice hut regulations, please click here.