COVID-19 Information

The following page has been provided as a resource to residents and visitors of Southgate regarding COVID-19.

For details about the current status of COVID-19 in our community, and ways you can protect yourself, visit the Grey Bruce Public Health website.

How to Protect Yourself

Everyone should practice good basic hygiene as a preventative measure to protect against the novel coronavirus and other viruses in this cold and flu season.

wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
sneeze and cough into your sleeve
avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
avoid contact with people who are sick
clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
stay home if you are sick

How To Self-Isolate - Public Health Ontario
Help Prevent The Spread of COVID-19 - Public Health Grey Bruce

Communications, Media and Press Releases

Southgate Emergency Declaration

On March 27, 2020 at 11:30 AM Township of Southgate Mayor John Woodbury declared a municipal wide state of emergency in accordance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This declaration aligns with the Government of Ontario's Declaration of Emergency made March 17, 2020.

This declaration is a precaution being taken by the Township in order to access additional Provincial and Federal resources and funding to help control the spread of the virus should the need arise.
Declaring an emergency authorizes the Municipality to take action or make orders, which are not contrary to law, in order to protect the residents in our community.

This declaration is NOT to further instill fear and panic in our residents, and you are not required to take any further action or response as a result of this declaration. Please continue to practice safe social distancing and self-isolation as per Public Health’s directives.

For up-to-date information on the impacts and for updates related to COVID-19 in our community, please visit https://www.southgate.ca/en/local-government/covid-19-information.aspx and follow the Township of Southgate on Facebook or call our office at 519-923-2110.

Southgate Community Emergency Communication and Support

The Township of Southgate’s top priority is the health and safety of our residents. The Township of Southgate Mayor John Woodbury as part of emergency response, wants to ensure we communicate with our entire community in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. We have local communications during the COVID-19 Provincial and Southgate Declared Emergency that will support you and our community with medical help, health information support and municipal answers to protect the residents in our community.

Administration and Municipal Services
The Township of Southgate’s staff are still available during regular office hours of Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm. The best way to reach us is to leave a voicemail or email and we will respond back to you. Our call volumes are high which could result in a busy signal, please be patient and continue to try calling. We continue to deliver our administrative and essential municipal services while we protect our staff to ensure business continuity.

Health and Information Resources
If you have actual Health issues with questions that need medical answers or want to seek primary care you should call South East Grey Community Health Centre at 519-986-2222 for attention or your Doctor’s office.
If you have questions specifically about COVID-19 information, screening, symptoms, social distancing or a recent contact with an infected person, you should call the Grey Bruce Health Unit at 519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 and the COVID-19 extension number is 3000. Another good option is Telehealth Ontario by calling 1-866-797-0000.
For up-to-date information on the impacts and for updates related to COVID-19 in our community, please visit https://www.southgate.ca/en/local-government/covid-19-information.aspx , follow the Township of Southgate on Facebook or call our office 519-923-2110.

Southgate Cancellations and Updates

Proof of Vaccination Requirements for Municipal Indoor Spaces

In keeping with provincial regulations, please be advised that proof of vaccination will be required to enter all Municipal halls, kitchens, and arenas, effective September 22. Please see the Arenas and Community Halls sections below for more information.

Proof of vaccination will not be required to access Municipal offices, as government services are considered essential.

For more information of the Proof of Vaccine Legislation, please see the document provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health: Proof of Vaccination Guidance for Businesses and Organizations under the Reopening Ontario Act Version 1 – September 14, 2021

Administration Office - Effective December 21, 2021 our Hopeville Administration Office doors will be CLOSED to the public.

We currently have limited staff in the office and most staff continue to work remotely to maintain physical distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Please be patient if you can't get through to the person or department you are trying to reach. You can either leave us a message or give us a call back. Click here for our staff directory.

There will be no interruption to essential services related to emergency services, roads, water/wastewater, or waste/recycling services.

Transfer Stations - Please be advised that all services will be OPEN at both Transfer stations starting Saturday, July, 24, 2021
NOTE: This includes the Reuse Centre - please be aware that items in Reuse Centre will not be sanitized, we recommend that you thoroughly sanitize any items taken home before use as a safety precaution due to COVID.

Commissioning of Documents – Please call the office to make an appointment for this service.

Council and Committee Meetings - Due to new legislation, Council meetings are able to resume electronically. Meetings will be held in a conference call setting and members of the public can listen in by calling 1 (647) 497-9373 and entering access code # 990-730-221. For public access it is best to wait until the start time of the scheduled meeting to dial in. If an electronic connection or a quorum of Council cannot be established during the first 15 minutes of the meeting, it will automatically be postponed and will begin at 7:00 PM on the same day.

Tender Submissions - The Township will accept tender submissions in the drop box at the Municipal Administration Office at 185667 Grey County Road 9, Dundalk. If your tender is being delivered by Courier, please instruct them to leave the envelope or parcel in the drop box. Tenders will be held for a period of 72 hours prior to being opened. To view the current Tenders and RFPS, click here.

Public Works Department Reminder - Please do not flush anything down the toilet other than toilet paper. Other materials such as paper towels, Lysol wipes, baby wipes etc. can block your sewage piping and could result in you having to call in a plumber - at your expense. Other materials being flushed could also cause issues with the pumps at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Recreation Department
Highpoint Campground is now closed for the season.
The Dundalk Pool is now closed for the season.

Southgate Library - Effective December 21, 2021 @ 11:00AM the Library will be closed to the public, until further notice. Curbside pickup services will continue and the Library Drop Box will remain open for returns. Computer services will not be offered at this time. For printing services, placing holds, or any questions please call the Library at 519-923-3248.

Economic Development - The Township of Southgate is working closely with Grey County to better understand the economic impact that COVID-19 is having and will have on your business.

2020 Property Assessment Update Postponed - As part of the Ontario Government’s Economic and Fiscal Update on March 25, 2020, the Hon. Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, announced the Province’s decision to postpone the 2020 Assessment Update, which would have seen the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) update the assessed value of every property in Ontario this year. In lieu of providing municipalities with updated assessed values for 2021, MPAC will deliver property assessments based on the fully phased-in January 1, 2016 current values, which is the same valuation date MPAC used for this year.

Account Payments can be made to the Township through online or mobile banking or by credit card. Due to safeguards in place during COVID-19 there may be a delay in processing your cheques. Your patience is greatly appreciated during this time.

Council amended its resolution from April 15, 2020 so that the waiver of penalties & interest to July 1, 2020 was limited to only 2020 tax installments, water/wastewater, and other municipal invoices issued in March, April, and May so that the relief was focused to those affected facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. If you have questions or concerns about your water account, please contact Nicole Corley in the Finance Department by email ncorley@southgate.ca or leave a message at 519-923-2110 ext. 222. If you have any questions or concerns about your property taxes, please contact John Kurian by email jkurian@southgate.ca or leave a message at 519-923-2110 ext. 221.

Additional Places to find Information regarding COVID-19

Grey Bruce Public Health Unit: https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/
Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html
Ontario Ministry of Health: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/

Bruce Power and its partners at the NII and NPX have created a free app called GBH Strong and website www.gbhstrong.com to help keep people properly informed during COVID19. The app is FREE and available on the Apple Store and is expected to be released on Google Play Store this week.

All updates will be posted on this page. Click 'subscribe to this page' at the bottom of this page to be notified of any updates.