The city announced its closure plans Wednesday for the second provincewide COVID-19 pandemic closure that starts on Saturday, including the cancellations of all ice rentals between Dec. 26 and Jan. 22.

Peterborough Transit will continue to operate as scheduled throughout the lockdown, but riders must wear face coverings and maintain two-metre social distancing.

The Art Gallery of Peterborough, the Peterborough Museum and Archives and the Sport and Wellness Centre will be closed to the public, while the Peterborough Public Library will close to the public and bring back curbside pickup service, starting on Dec. 30.

City council will return to virtual meetings in January.

City Hall will be closed to the public until Jan. 22 and people are asked to use phone or online services to reduce traffic at other municipal facilities during the pandemic.

Essential services, including emergency services, public works, transit and wastewater treatment, will continue uninterrupted, according to a press release from the city, with safety measures for staff remaining in place based on public health’s guidelines.

Here’s a look at changes to municipal services that are expected:

Arena Division

All ice rental bookings during the period Dec. 26 through Jan. 22 have been cancelled. A full refund or credit for cancelled dates will be applied. During the holiday season, arena customer service will be closed from Dec. 24 at noon and Jan. 4 at 8:30 a.m. when staff will be available by calling 705-742-7777 ext. 2577 or by email at arenadivisionbookings@peterborough.ca^[1].

Art Gallery of Peterborough

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will remain closed until and including Jan. 22.

Building Services

Beginning Jan. 4, Building Services will provide a modified pickup and drop-off service from their location in the north wing of City Hall. People can access services online or by phone 705-742-7777 ext. 1892 whenever possible. Visit peterborough.ca/building for information, forms and the application process.

Child Care Centres

Licensed centre based and home child care can remain open for the duration of the provincewide shutdown. At this time most licensed child care centres in Peterborough city and county will be open and providing regular full day services for children aged 0 to 3.8 years for the week of Jan. 4 to 8. Families are encouraged to contact their current licensed child care provider to confirm access to care for Jan. 4 to 8.

To support the families of school-aged children, the city will be implementing a targeted emergency child care plan for school-aged children of essential services workers as identified by the province, at no cost to eligible families, from Jan. 4 to 8. Emergency child care services for children of JK/SK and school age (3.8 to12 years) will be available for essential service workers in the city and county.

To be eligible for the emergency child care plan for essential services workers, families must have no other option for child care and be working outside of their home. Families can indicate they are an essential worker and register for emergency child care at OneHSN.com/Peterborough. Registration, approvals and communications will be managed by the chosen Emergency child care agency. Registrations will open Dec. 24 at noon.

Before and after school programs, with the exception of the emergency child care agencies, are required to close from Jan. 4 to 8 and are prohibited from charging fees or otherwise penalizing parents during this time period. For example, parents must not lose their respective child care spaces.

EarlyON Child and Family Centres must close to the public beginning Dec. 26 until Jan. 23. This means that neither indoor nor outdoor programming can be offered during the shutdown.

Families who are currently in receipt of child care fee subsidy may contact your case manager through email or phone if needed.

City Hall

City Hall will be closed to the public until and including Jan. 22. The city will monitor provincial direction on the shutdown and will provide updates on reopening for in-person services as they become available. Beginning Jan. 4, city staff will to be available during regular business hours by phone or email. Call 705-742-7777 or email cityptbo@peterborough.ca^[2]. It may take longer to reply to messages depending on call and email volumes, the city advises.

City council

City Council will meet virtually for the Jan. 11 and Jan. 18 general committee meetings.

Community Services

Community Services, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Public Art and the Heritage Preservation Office will be available by calling 705-742-7777 ext. 1822 or by email at communityservices@peterborough.ca^[3].

Peterborough Museum and Archives

The Peterborough Museum and Archives will remain closed until and including Jan. 22.

Peterborough Public Library

The Peterborough Public Library will close at 1 p.m. on Dec. 24 and reopen on Dec. 30 with curbside pickup service in place. Access to the main branch of the Library will be limited to pickup services only. The DelaFosse branch remains closed at this time. Further details are available online at www.ptbolibrary.ca^[4].

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre

The Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre will remain open from 7 a.m. to noon on Dec. 24 and will be closed effective Dec. 25 for the remainder of the provincial shutdown. Wellness Centre memberships will be placed on an automatic hold beginning Dec. 26. Staff can be reached by calling 705-742-7777 ext. 2201 or by email at sportandwellnesscentre@peterborough.ca^[5] throughout the closure.

Provincial Offences Act Court

The court administration service counter will be closed for in-person service until and including Jan. 22. Service inquiries and payments can be made by phone 705-742-7777 ext. 2099 or online at peterborough.ca/POA.

Public Operations Centre (Public Works)

The Public Operations Centre (Public Works) administration office at 791 Webber Ave. remains closed to the public. Public Works can be reached for urgent matters at 705-745-1386. This line is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For non-urgent matters, email pubworks@peterborough.ca^[6], or use the online Report an Issue form at peterborough.ca.

Social Services

Beginning Jan. 4, public access to the Social Services office at 178 Charlotte St. will be limited to two people at a time. Clients are required to wear a face covering and stay in authorized areas only. Social Services client appointments will be done over the phone whenever possible. Current clients can contact their case worker for further information and register for online services through MyBenefits. The local phone number is 705-748-8830 or 1-855-738-3755.

Clients who have bank accounts can contact their case workers about signing up for direct deposit.

All applications for Ontario Works or emergency assistance will be done online at or over the phone, when possible, to minimize face-to-face interaction, following the public health guidance related to social distancing. Applications for other services such as child care fee subsidy and Housing Access Peterborough will also be completed over the phone.

Emergency shelter services will continue to operate as normal, with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Individuals can call 705-926-0096 for emergency shelter services during the Christmas closure, and on evenings and weekends.