COVID-19

Information and Updates

Please check back often for new information and updates.

As of June 12, face coverings are required to be worn inside all commercial businesses in Wellington County. This decision was made by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Medical Officer of Health. Read Amended Emergency Order No.

Mandatory screening procedures will be in place at the entrances of all County buildings, and individuals will be required to wear a face covering and respect physical distancing protocols at all times inside our facilities.

As of March 23, the County of Wellington and all seven of its member municipalities have declared emergencies in accordance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, 1990, as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

County officials are working closely with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to respond to the situation. As more information becomes available, the County of Wellington is making additional changes to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Please review the following County operational changes and closures:

Administration Centre

The County of Wellington’s Administration Centre (74 Woolwich Street) is closed to the public until further notice. All non-essential County deliveries are to be halted.

Child Care and Learning Centres

The Wellington County Child Care and Learning Centres are re-opening as part of stage two of the Provincial plan to re-open Ontario. However, during this stage the number of child care spaces have been significantly reduced. To learn more about the re-opening of child care centres operated by the County of Wellington, please visit the Directly Operated Child Care Programmes page.

Please be advised Wellington Licensed Home Child Care remains open.

County Council and Committee Meetings

All Committee and Council Meetings will continue via teleconference. The public will be able to call in and observe these meetings. Agendas and teleconference information will be posted to the Council and Committee calendar as it becomes available.

County Garages

All County Garages are closed to the public until further notice.

Green Legacy

All Green Legacy Municipal Tree days have been cancelled.

Residents that placed tree orders with the Green Legacy will have their trees delivered in a contact-free home delivery directly to their property in the coming weeks.

Visit www.greenlegacy.ca for additional details.

Housing and Emergency Shelter

During the COVID-19 emergency, County and Guelph Non-Profit staff are working to deliver essential services.

The County continues to process online and mailed in applications however, due to limited staffing please expect delays. No offers of housing will be made until further notice.
The County continues to support the Drop In and Wyndham House to ensure services remain open for individual and families experiencing homelessness. People can continue to call Wyndham House and Drop In for services.
The County continues to support Housing Providers deliver community housing across the Service Manager area.

Need Emergency Assistance?

Individuals/families facing financial hardship related to a current work disruption (lay-off, loss of hours, rental or utility arrears, etc) may be eligible for emergency funding.

Please contact the Housing Stability Programme line at 519.824.7822 x 3712; or the

Ontario Works intake line 519.837.2670 (press “0”) or Toll Free 1.800.265.7294 or TTY 1.800.855.0511

Need Tenancy Help?

Call staff directly by phone/email or speak to our reception staff by phone for assistance.

Call us at 519.837.6274 if:

You are self-isolating and need help with daily living needs, such as food and medicine, staff can help with referral information and access to resources.
You are requesting repairs. We are making emergency repairs, but all non- urgent repairs will be scheduled for a later date.
You want to make an appointment with staff, while our offices are closed. Staff are available over the phone and via email to support tenants. By appointment, staff will meet with tenants who are signing leases or picking up keys.

How can I my Pay Rent?

It is a tenant responsibility to pay rent on time, and we understand this situation may be challenging so we want to support you in making arrangements where possible.

For all tenants that currently use Debit/Interac for rent payments or pay in person, we request that you would consider alternate options for rent payment for the next few months. Please contact the Housing Services office if you are able to make alternative arrangements to paying rent in person, including but not limited to:

Pre-Authorized Payments
Cheques; mailed to the office or dropped off at the office mailbox
Post-dated cheques (only accepted for rent payments after the first month's rent)
Ontario Works (OW) pay direct system
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) pay direct system

In-person rent payment is not available at this time.

What Is Housing Services Doing to Protect Public Health and Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19?

Housing Services and Guelph Non-Profit has put in place these social distancing measures to protect public health and help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Offices are closed to the public, however we will meet with you over the phone and email.
All community rooms, recreation rooms and amenity spaces are closed to social gatherings.
All County and Guelph Non-Profit owned play structures are closed, until further notice.
Laundry rooms remain open and will be cleaned several times a day.
We are continuing to provide emergency repairs, but all other requests will be completed at a later date.
We are cleaning and disinfecting our buildings at minimum twice daily, with a focus on common areas and all frequently touched surfaces.
We are advising people not to visit our buildings if they have returned from travel outside Canada or have respiratory illness, cough, fever or trouble breathing.
We recommend that you avoid social gathering within the buildings and that you keep a distance of at least 2 arms-length (approximately 2 metres) from others at all times.

Emergency Homelessness Shelter Services

Three emergency homelessness shelters, Dwelling Place, Stepping Stones, and Youth Emergency Shelter have been closed temporarily and relocated to hotel accommodations in Guelph-Wellington. This major change has allowed for appropriate social distancing and increased safety among shelter users and staff. Shelter staff are still working to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the hotels and in the community. COVID-19 screening is conducted daily for all residents and prior to admission at the temporary hotels.

Need Emergency Shelter?

Adults (25+)

Monday to Friday - 7:00am to 11:00pm call 226.962.3269
Monday to Friday - 11:00pm to 7:00am call HERE 24/7 1.844.437.3247
Weekends - call HERE 24/7 1.844.437.3247Youth (16-24)

Youth (16 -24)

Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 4:30pm call 226.962.3574
Monday to Friday - 4:30pm to 7:00am call HERE 24/7 1.844.437.3247
Weekends - call HERE 24/7 1.844.437.3247

No Phone? Go to Royal City Mission meals Monday to Friday at 11:00am and tell staff you need shelter.

COVID-19 Isolation Program

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic and risks associated with local transmission, the community partners in the City of Guelph and County of Wellington (Guelph-Wellington) have established a Supported Isolation Shelter (SIS) for individuals experiencing homelessness. The SIS is a dedicated site where individuals who are homeless can be safely and effectively isolated consistent with public health standards as well as appropriate procedures to manage admission and transfer to this site.

SIS was created to for individuals who are homeless and needing to isolate/self-isolate due to:

Presence of COVID-19 symptoms
Positive test result for COVID-19
Close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19

If an individual experiencing homelessness requires admission to the Supported Isolation Shelter, they need to be pre-screened by the COVID-19 Assessment Centre, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health or at Guelph General Hospital. Once the screening has been completed, staff at that location will contact the Supported Isolation Shelter to arrange intake and transportation to the site.

For questions about screening, please contact Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

Questions or concerns about Guelph-Wellington’s homelessness response should be directed to Lori Richer, Housing Stability Manager at lorir@wellington.ca or 519.837.2670 x 3150.

Tenant Notices and Updates

Ontario Works - Financial Assistance

During the COVID-19 emergency, Ontario Works staff are working to deliver essential services.

Do you urgently need financial help?

You may be eligible for short term financial support if you are in a crisis or emergency situation and you don’t have enough money for things like food and housing. If you are not already receiving support from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, you can apply for emergency assistance online.

You can also call our office to apply over the phone. Please call us at: 519.837.2670 (press’1’) or Toll Free 1.800.265.7294 or TTY 1.800.855.0511

Are you receiving OW or ODSP and need help with COVID-19 related costs?

If you are on OW or ODSP and you are facing additional costs related to the COVID-19 outbreak, you can access one-time emergency benefits. Emergency benefits for COVID-19 related expenses are the same for both programs: up to $100 for single individuals and up to $200 for families. This funding can be used to meet a broad range of needs, for example: cleaning supplies, transportation, food or clothing that you may require due to COVID-19. Please call your caseworker.

What other financial assistance is available?

If you were working and have lost your job or lost your income, you may be eligible to receive the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This is a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months for people facing unemployment or who are currently unable to work.

Depending on your situation, you may also be eligible for Canada Child Benefit payments, the special GST credit, and payments from the province of Ontario for children aged 12 and under. Please see the Government of Canada information about supports for individuals and the Province of Ontario’s online application for payments to parents.

RIDE WELL Rural Transportation Service

RIDE WELL is currently operating but is taking proactive measures to limit further transmission of COVID-19. We have updated our terms and conditions.

We are asking the public to not book or enter RIDE WELL vehicles if you have:

Two or more symptoms of: Fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.
Travelled outside Canada in the past 14 days.
If you have had close contact with either a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19.

Drivers are equipped with disinfectant wipes and sanitizer to wipe down surfaces of the vehicles throughout the day.

Settlement Services

During the COVID-19 emergency, Settlement Services staff are working to deliver essential services.

Are you new to Canada and new to Wellington County?

The County of Wellington provides direct and essential services FREE of charge to help newcomers and immigrants. Experienced settlement workers can answer your questions and help you deal with challenges in housing, employment, interpretation and translation, healthcare, immigration and citizenship, completion of government forms, accessing social services, and more. Please call 519.837.2670 ext. 4819 to book an appointment with a settlement worker.

How can I reach my settlement worker during office closures?

Settlement workers are still available to help by email and telephone. If you are an existing client, please call your settlement worker directly. You can also call our office and leave a message at 519.837.2670 ext.4819.

Social Services

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, County of Wellington Social Services offices are closed to the public until further notice. Social Services continues to provide service over the phone, by mail and through electronic communication. Please see below for service options.

Housing and Emergency Shelter

Ontario Works

Settlement Services

Dropping off documents
Please use the drop boxes location on the exterior of our office buildings.

Need to contact our staff
Please contact staff directly by phone/email or speak to our reception staff by phone for assistance at 519.837.6274.

Need to apply for assistance
You can apply online or contact us by phone for assistance at 519.837.6274.

Pre-arranged in-person services
Call ahead to arrange a time to visit us to complete the following in-person transactions:

Signing your new lease with Housing
Picking up an assistance cheque

In-person rent payment is not available at this time. We are requesting that all tenants that currently pay in person or use Debit/Interac for rent payments, consider alternate payment options for the next few months. We understand that this may be challenging, and we want to support you where possible. Please visit the County's Social Services webpage for additional details.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Solid Waste Services

All County Waste Facilities and Re-Use Centres are closed to the public at this time. The Riverstown Landfill site is open to commercial customers only to assist essential businesses and services.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, all Wellington County waste facilities will re-open and resume regular operating hours. Reuse Centres and textile bins will remain closed at all sites until further notice. More information on the re-opening of the County Waste Facilities can be found at www.wellington.ca/sws.

There are currently no changes to the County of Wellington's curbside collection services. At this time, we are continuing the User Pay Bag programme, asking that residents use County-issued garbage bags. Details on curbside collection can be found at www.wellington.ca/sws. Continuing to require the use of User Pay bags is to support our contractor and ensure that they are able to continue collecting waste materials across the County.

Our staff are making deliveries to our retailers to ensure that User Pay bag inventory remains available. The County is also offering a temporary home delivery service for User Pay garbage bags. Orders can be placed and processed online at www.wellington.ca/wasteinfo. Residents unable to access this service online can call 519.837.2601 and arrangements will be made.

Interim Leaf and Yard Waste Collection is being provided in 56 designated urban areas (those that currently receive weekly curbside collection services). The service will run for six weeks, giving each member municipality two separate collection weeks. Details can be found at www.wellington.ca/yardwaste.

Any other questions can be directed to our Solid Waste Services department at wasteinfo@wellington.ca.

Wellington County Library

All Wellington County libraries will be closed to the public until further notice. All room rentals at the Wellington County libraries are currently cancelled.

Library Materials: At this time, we are happy to provide curbside pickup of library materials. Place a request through the online catalogue or by phone and staff will be in contact to make an appointment for contactless pickup.

Computer Access: Starting Monday, July 6, public computer access will be available in a limited capacity at all Wellington County Library locations. This service is by appointment ONLY, and is limited to 30 minute time slots. Access is intended for adult communications and business use, gaming is not permitted at this time. Walk-ins and back-to-back appointments will not be accommodated. Contact your local library to make a reservation. Please note, mandatory screening procedures will be in place at the entrances of all County buildings, and visitors will be required to wear a face covering and respect physical distancing protocols at all times inside our facilities.

Book return boxes are now open and patrons are encouraged to check their online accounts at https://wellington.bibliocommons.com/ for everything outstanding.

Please visit www.wellington.ca/Library for current operating hours and services. In keeping with rules set out by the Province of Ontario, members of the public are restricted from access except for public computer use at this time. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Wellington County Museum and Archives

Effective Monday, July 13, 2020, the Wellington County Museum and Archives will resume regular business hours (Monday - Friday from 9:30 am - 4:30pm, Saturday - Sunday from 1:00pm - 5:00pm). Please note, mandatory screening procedures will be in place at the entrances of all County buildings, and visitors will be required to wear a face covering and respect physical distancing protocols at all times inside our facilities.

The Heritage Barn and some Museum galleries (including interactive and high contact exhibit components) will remain closed, and all WCMA programmes, tours, events, and rentals will remain cancelled through to August 31, 2020. Donations to the WCMA collection can be made by appointment.

Museum: A maximum of 20 visitors will be allowed inside the Museum at once. Group appointments to visit the Museum, with 10 people or less from the same household or social circle, can be made by calling 519.846.0916 x 5221. Please note that these are NOT appointments for Museum tours.

Archives: A maximum of 7 visitors will be allowed inside the Archives at once. Retrieval services will be available, but the public will not be permitted to browse the collection at this time. The use of personal laptops is encouraged inside our facilities, and computer and microfilm reader printer use will be available by appointment by contacting 519.846.0916 x 5225 or emailing karenw@wellington.ca.

Virtual WCMA: Don’t forget to visit us online! The WCMA has lots of great activities, online exhibits, photo galleries and digital databases! www.wellington.ca/museum

Share Your Story
The WCMA needs your help in documenting this unprecedented moment in history. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your life? Create a diary, video, or take photographs and consider donating your records to the Museum and Archives. For more information, please contact WCMA Archivist, Karen Wagner.

Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home

The Wellington Terrace has received direction from the Ministry of Health regarding visiting restrictions. At this time, all visitors and volunteers are not permitted in the Home.

We recognize the importance of social connection for seniors, please be assured that our team will contact families to determine strategies for you to stay in touch with your loved one.

The Wellington Terrace will continue to post updates as the COVID-19 situation evolves. Subscribe to the Terrace's News and Outbreak Updates page to receive email notifications as they become available.

For additional information on COVID-19 please visit Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health's Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage.

Additional Resources

As we collectively work through this challenging period together, the County would also like to share helpful resources that are available. We encourage you to visit our COVID-19 Support and Resources page for government resources, and business, agriculture, and economic development supports.

*Last updated: June 26, 2020 at 11:15 am.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Updates