TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford's message to cottagers in advance of the May long weekend is that "there will be plenty of long weekends to come."
Ford had a call Wednesday afternoon with cottage country mayors and says they are asking people to hold off on travelling to their regions.
A statement from Ford today doesn't explicitly advise cottagers not to visit their seasonal properties, but says there will be many other opportunities to do so, and right now health and safety is the province's focus.
However, he also says those who do travel to their cottages should continue public health measures such as not holding public gatherings, practising physical distancing and avoiding non-essential travel.
The premier said earlier this week that there was only so long he could "hold the big gates back" if people travelled only to their cottages, brought their own food and didn't go into town.
Cottage country mayors and health officials have urged seasonal residents to stay home to avoid taxing the health systems in small towns and rural areas.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2020.
The Canadian Press