Ford announces economic reopening—starting May 8

Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed media today, providing a light at the end of the tunnel regarding the reopening of the economy.

Ford proclaimed that with cases continuing to decrease, preparations for the economic reopening were inching closer.

Ontario has already allowed select-businesses to reopen safely, with Ford saying that following consultation, he is prepared to announce as of Friday May 8, that garden centres and nurseries will be allowed to reopen, headed into Mother's Day.

As of Saturday, May 9, hardware stores and safety supply stores will be able to reopen, as long as the businesses follow strict public health measures, which will mirror the regulations set in place for grocery stores and pharmacies.

Ford said essential construction will also be expanded, such as demolitions, condominium construction, and housing construction in general.

Non-essential retail businesses with a street entrance, as of May 11, will be allowed to provide road-side pick-up.

"We're at the start of a long road," said Ford. "The hard work of rebuilding what we lost is still ahead of us. But we will be there for you... And together, we will get the job done."

Regarding restaurants, Ford told business owners to "hang in there" and that no definitive date was available, but that it would be "sooner rather than later" and "as soon as the numbers come down," restaurants would open their doors for diners.

Cottage country availability

When it came to when Ontarians would be able to go to their cottages, Ford had previously hinted at a move for Victoria Day.

On Monday, the premier told reporters that Ontarians were eager to get back to normal life, saying: "There's only so long you can hold back taxpayers from going to their cottages."

"I had a conversation with one of the mayors of Muskoka ... we did the right thing [by requesting Ontarians stay away from cottage country] but as we see the numbers come down, by May 24, we're going to have a heart-to-heart conversation this week with the mayors."

Ford would later release a statement on Thursday telling visitors to "hold off" on heading to the country as the province continues its battle against the pandemic.

In the statement, Ford said, "With the Victoria Day long weekend and cottage season just around the corner, we need to stay vigilant."

There has still been no legal ban put into place to restrict people from visiting their cottages despite the new recommendations.

"I know Ontarians are eager to enjoy the great outdoors, but there will be plenty of long weekends to come," the statement adds.

"Right now, we need to focus on doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians. We're all in this together and together we will beat COVID-19."