As families throughout Peel celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend, services and facilities throughout the region will have modified hours.
BY ALEX GREGORY
The Region announced Monday that certain activities and facilities throughout Peel remain affected until further notice due to the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic. Officials from Peel Public Health urged residents this week to continue to physically distance from other individuals outside their circle, as gatherings remain limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Residents should stay close to home when possible and continue to limit excursions to essential reasons.
A number of services that maintain normal operations will also be impacted by the Thanksgiving holiday on Monday, Oct. 12. Access Peel, Early Years and Child Care Services, Peel Works Needle Exchange Program Mobile Van, Peel Living Head Office and Ontario Works in Peel will all be unavailable on Oct. 12, with services resuming on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Waste collection schedules will be moved one day later next week, with no collection scheduled for Oct. 12. Community Recycling Centres will also be closed on the same day, and will reopen on Oct. 13.
Trans Help will run specific trips on Oct. 12 and 13, but bookings must be made by 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. On Oct. 12, TransHelp will run from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., while regular hours at the TransHelp office will resume on Oct. 13 0 call (905) 791-1015 for more information. The region said in a statement that a number of services will also continue to run on an emergency needs/telephone only basis, and will be impacted by the holiday. While the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) remains closed due to the pandemic, virtual programming will continue online – for more information, visit the PAMA website at pama.peelregion.ca. In Brampton, critical services (fire, traffic, by-law enforcement, road operations, security) will continue to run normally, with 3-1-1 available for resident inquiries.
Brampton Transit will operate on a holiday schedule on Oct. 12, with some cancelled routes during the day. Customer service terminals will be closed at Brampton Gateway, Bramalea and the Downtown Terminals, while the Trinity Commons Terminal remains temporarily closed. For more information, call (905) 874- 2999. Recreation centres in Brampton will also be closed, with some locations opening on an appointment-only basis starting on Oct. 13. To reserve a spot, visit the website at brampton.ca/recreation.
Online activities can also be accessed by visiting brampton.ca/recathome. Brampton Library branches will be closed on Oct. 12 along with curbside pickup, while normal operations will resume on Oct. 13. The Brampton Animal Shelter will be closed on Oct. 12, while staff will only be responding to pickups of sick, injured or aggressive domestic animals and wildlife, and pickup of deceased animals.
Most major malls in Peel Region will also host modified hours on Oct. 12, while most major convenience stores, City Hall in Mississauga and Brampton and banks will also be closed. For emergencies related to food, emergency shelter, medication or personal support, residents are asked to call the Region of Peel at (905) 453- 1300.
