Woodbine Beach among Toronto parks to receive special attention from police, bylaw officers over Easter long weekend

Toronto police will be paying special attention to parks including Woodbine Beach this Easter long weekend in order to ensure compliance with COVID-19 social distancing rules and the use of closed City of Toronto park amenities.

In a release on Thursday, police said that from April 10-13 its enforcement efforts, in coordination with the City of Toronto, will continue as it relates to compliance with social distancing in areas that include parks and park amenities such as off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, fitness stations, skateboard facilities, and congregating in groups and parking in closed lots.

There will be 200 city bylaw enforcement officers and 160 members of the Toronto Police Service, including Primary Response Units, Community Response Units (including Neighbourhood Community Officers), Mounted Unit and Marine Unit, visiting parks across the city during the Easter long weekend, the release said.

Based on complaints from the public and feedback from previous enforcement efforts, police said the following areas will be given special attention:

– Woodbine Beach

– Bluffer’s Park

– Rosetta McClain Gardens

– High Park

– Humber Bay East

– Christie Pits

– Trinity Bellwoods

– Allan Gardens

– Sunnybrook Park

– Sherwood Park

Parking Enforcement Officers will also be patrolling hotspots for those who continue to park in closed parking facilities, the release said.

“While we are encouraged by the compliance we are seeing and the responsible actions people are taking, we continue to see people not taking these measures seriously and not acting in compliance,” the release said. “Officers have various enforcement tools available to them, based on the circumstances, including tickets of up to $1,000.”

---