In the past week, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) conducted an inspection blitz of businesses across the region for compliance with COVID-19 orders.
Corporations can be fined $1,000 for failing to comply with the orders under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
Of 170 inspections by the health unit, 16 per cent were conducted in Muskoka. A total of 14 fines were levied across Simcoe Muskoka, including five in Muskoka.
The health unit blitz was part of a larger effort conducted Feb. 5-8 that included the Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development, bylaw officers, and police. Details on enforcement activities by those other entities were not yet available as of publication time.
In the Huntsville area, Farmer’s Daughter in Huntsville, and Jamieson’s General Store and Mary’s Lakeside Grill in Port Sydney each received a $1,000 fine from the health unit during the blitz. The specifics of each fine have not been disclosed by the health unit, but Dr. Charles Garder, SMDHU medical officer of health, said the most common infractions in Simcoe Muskoka were “a lack of a safety plan, a lack of screening of their employees, a lack of signage indicating capacity limits, and failings with regards to cleaning and disinfection.”
Dr. Gardner added that the “law is there to protect the workers, the owners, the patrons, and the community against COVID-19… Overall, I feel confident that my staff are striving to be fair but to apply the law.”
The other health unit fines in Muskoka were levied against Nick’s Family Restaurant in Bracebridge ($1,000) and Terry’s Independent Grocer in Gravenhurst ($750).
Doppler reached out to some of the businesses involved to request comment. See the response from Farmer’s Daughter here: Local business owner calls COVID compliance fine unjust.
Update Feb. 9: This post has been updated to include a link to the response from Farmer’s Daughter.
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Anna-Lise Kear says
Very glad this is information is published. Thank you, health unit for your inspections. Thank you for those local businesses which match compliance to keep staff and customers safe.
Please continue to let us know.
Gord Looker says
Too bad they didn’t drop into Walmart this week. No head counts, people on top of each other, families shopping, but the greeter had a smile.
Henk Rietveld says
It seems that the Farmer’s Daughter has been trying very hard to do “the right thing”, but without clear, written and published rules/guidelines to follow, it seems just wrong to levy a fine without warning.
Really, really bad optics, health unit!
It seems a bit like trying to nail jelly to the wall. Publish the rules!
It’s bad enough that we’re lumped in with Barrie and Simcoe County…just look t the infection statistics.
Sorry, just bad…especially when it relates to bureaucratic rules re: posting certain notices, etc.
Robert Artibello says
I’m very happy that the SMDHU is doing the checking. It makes us feel a bit safer.
Indipendent Grocery in Huntsville, still need work. Can’t buy lolt tickets there cause nomaske by staff
But give the Heath Unit credit for thier work
Brenda Begg says
Yes, thank you for publishing this information and for the inspections.
Brenda Begg says
I don’t purchase lotto tickets at Bullock’s Independent Grocers; I do know that they are doing , and have been doing, a super job at following directives since Day One of the pandemic. I feel very safe shopping there and at Metro.
Lisa Wager says
Maybe they should lay fines on people not following arrows in the stores. Not social distancing and have travelled to Muskoka for their vacation. Now that would be a better idea. There are so many businesses doing their best to put protocol in place under this extremely difficult situation. Maybe educate instead of finding small businesses would be worth more.
Anna-Lise Kear says
Mr. Rietveld; I have worked with our public health department in the past. In each and every case, they have given me accurate and helpful advice to keep staff and others safe. For example, they have provided help with signage, or at least told me how to access the same.
Our local Summit Centre pool has received not only appropriate inspections during this pandemic, but all the guidance they could ask for. So, it is difficult for me to understand a situation where help asked for is not given from our health unit. The guidance/directive does need to be understood, and then it has to be Followed.
Linda Hollin says
Just one more example of the priorities set by our current provincial government! Regular inspections of long term care homes aren’t important enough to be continued – even in the face of clear and obvious care issues! But arbitrary “witch hunt” expeditions are! We need to remember this in two years!
Debbie Kirwin says
On a positive note, let’s make public the visited businesses who are receiving the seal of approval for compliance.