Coronavirus (COVID-19) response

On this page

  1. What's open and closed 
  2. Procedures for visiting city buildings 
  3. Service changes
  4. Community support
  5. Business support
  6. Arts and culture support

Last updated: Wednesday August 7 at 4:30 p.m. Translate this page with Google Translate.

What's open and closed

Indoor facilities

All indoor facilities are subject to the Region of Waterloo's mask bylaw.

Detailed procedures for visiting indoor facilities are posted below.

Facility  Open Closed Partial Details
Waterloo City Hall X     Open regular hours
Waterloo Service Centre X     Open regular hours
Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex     X Open for day camps only, pool opens on August 4
RIM Park     X Open for day camps only

Albert McCormick Community Centre

     X Open for day camps only

Moses Springer Community Centre

     X Indoors open for day camps only, outdoor pool open
City of Waterloo Museum X     Open regular hours
Adult Recreation Centre     X Open by appointment
Wing 404     X Open by appointment

Manulife Soccer and Sports Centre

   X   Closed until further notice

Outdoor facilities

Outdoor facility use is subject to physical distancing and gathering size requirements.

Facility  Open Closed Partial Details
Parks and trails X     Open regular hours

Playgrounds, courts and other park amenities

 X     Open regular hours

Moses Springer pool

 X     Open with entrance protocols

New splash pad in Waterloo Park

   X   Tentatively opening on August 8

Washrooms

Note that use of all washrooms are subject to facility entry requirements, including face coverings and/or screening questions.

Outdoor locations Open Closed Partial Details
Bechtel Park baseball stadium   X   Closed for renovations
Hillside Park X     Open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.*
Lexington Park     X Washrooms only open during programs
RIM Park Green Lab X     Open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.*
Waterloo Park splashpad X     Open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Waterloo Park west

 X     Open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Waterloo Park east

 X     Open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Westmount Sports Park

 X      Open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.*
Indoor locations Open Closed  Partial Details
Adult Recreation Centre X     Open daily, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Waterloo City Hall X     First floor open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Visitor and Heritage Centre X    

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

* These washrooms may close at different times based on the conclusion of programmed activities

Procedures for visiting city buildings

The Region of Waterloo's mask bylaw applies to indoor areas in city buildings. You are required to wear mask unless you qualify for an exemption.

Anyone who is unwell, has a temperature, left Canada over the last 14 days or exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is asked to not come to a city building.

Waterloo City Hall

Waterloo City Hall is open regular business hours, with procedures in place for entering and visiting certain areas of the building.

City hall services available for walk-in
  • Municipal enforcement counter (parking tickets, licences)
  • Revenue counter (paying bills)

City hall services that require appointments 
  • Planning
  • Building Services
  • Legislative Services
  • Community Services
  • Mayor and CAO's office

Call 519-886-1550 to book an appointment to visit one of these departments.

City hall entrance procedure
  • a member of our team will greet visitors upon their arrival
  • you will be required to wear a face covering
  • visitors are asked to line-up
  • the number of people permitted to enter will be controlled
  • visitors doing business with the city will be asked to line up along windows on William street side of building (Finance wing)
  • visitors doing business with a city hall tenant will be asked to line up along windows on Regina side of building (vacant suite)
  • visitors with pre-scheduled appointments will queued at the appropriate customer service counter
  • centre area of the building is reserved for people to exit
  • visitors are welcome to use the first floor washrooms  
  • signage and physical distancing markers will be posted 

City hall capacity

To maintain physical distancing queuing and capacity numbers have been established for each customer service counter:

  • Elevator – 1
  • Revenue – 5
  • Community Services – 1
  • Human Resources – 1
  • Municipal Enforcement – 2
  • Integrated Planning & Public Works – 2
  • Legislative Services – 1 person at counter, 1 waiting in hallway
  • Wedding ceremonies – 9 maximum in Council Chambers
  • CAO/Elected Officials – 1
  • Tenants vary by business, will permit 1 or 2, staff will escort the visitor to desired business

Waterloo Service Centre

Waterloo Service Centre is open regular business hours, with procedures in place for entering the building.

Service centre entrance procedure
  • People attending the Service Centre will be required to use the intercom system to notify city staff that they have arrived
  • Bill payments will be accepted at this location
  • you will be required to wear a face covering

Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex

The indoor pool re-opens to the public on August 4. Pre-registration is required to attend swimming activities. Visit our swimming page for details.

Adult Recreation Centre

Call 519-579-1020 to make an appointment to visit.

  • you will be required to wear a mask
  • a member of our team will greet visitors upon their arrival
  • signage and physical distancing markers will be posted
  • washrooms are open for walk-in use from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily

Wing 404

Call 519-888-6356 to make an appointment to visit.

  • you will be required to wear a mask
  • a member of our team will greet visitors upon their arrival
  • signage and physical distancing markers will be posted

City of Waterloo Museum

The City of Waterloo Museum is available for walk-in visits during business hours.

  • you will be required to wear a face covering
  • a member of our team will greet visitors upon their arrival
  • signage and physical distancing markers will be posted

Changes to City of Waterloo services

Water flushing in your building

Read water flushing guidelines to make sure your building has clean water supply.

City council meetings online only

Council meetings are fully online. The public can stream meetings live and watch recordings. Feedback can be sent to the city clerk via email.

For times, agenda and streaming links, visit the council calendar.

Senior support programs still operating

Our grocery shopping and telephone reassurance programs continue to operate. These programs are designed for people 65 and up but other people with special needs may qualify.

To inquire, call 519-579-6930 from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Overnight parking not enforced

Bylaw officers will not enforce overnight parking regulations.

On-street parking and Uptown parking lot fees will be enforced

Bylaw officers will be enforcing on-street parking and time limit parking lot fees in the Uptown starting August 4.

Parking permit fees reduced for July, August and September

Monthly pass holders for uptown parking lots to be charged a reduced fee:

  • 75% reduction for the month of July, paying 25% of the normal fee
  • 50% reduction for the month of August, paying 50% of the normal fee
  • 25% education of the month September, paying 75% of the normal fee
Uptown patio application fees not charged

The Uptown Sidewalk Patio application fee is waived for 2020.

Building permit approval and inspections are limited

Call 519-886-1550 to book an appointment. Permit applications, issuance and inspections are affected.

For full details, visit our building information.

Burial permits by phone only

Call 519-747-8777 for service.

Freedom of information (FOI) requests by mail or drop off only

In-person counter at city hall is closed. We will continue to accept requests via mail or drop off.

For details, visit our FOI page.

Development application inquiries by email only
In-person counter at city hall is available by appointment only. Call 519-886-1550 to book an appointment.

For details, visit zone changes.

Property assessments on hold

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has postponed the 2020 Assessment Update.

Community support

For a list of local community supports, visit the Region of Waterloo's community support webpage. This includes food delivery, and public spaces open for warming or washroom use.

Waterloo at Home

City staff and community partners have come together to create Waterloo At Home - a curation of helpful tips and resources for residents to make the best of their time at home. 

Using Engage Waterloo as the platform, Waterloo At Home is a one-stop-shop for ideas, resources and stories aimed at keeping residents active, connected and creative at home. 

City of Waterloo neighbourhood newsletter

We're all neighbours. Now more than ever, sharing information and having points of connection is important.

We publish a weekly email newsletter with information to help you stay informed and socially connected while physically distancing.

Subscribe

Past editions

To contact the neighbourhoods team during this time, email neighbourhoods@waterloo.ca

Business support

Our economic development office is working with regional partners to monitor and assess developments related to COVID-19 and their impact on businesses in the City of Waterloo.

We have put together a series of resources to help during this time. For questions or additions/changes to the list, please contact ecdev@waterloo.ca or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The Waterloo Region Small Business Centre and Uptown Business Improvement Area also have helpful resources for local businesses.

Restaurant, cafes and food shops in Waterloo open during COVID-19

If you're looking for restaurants, cafes or food shops to service you during the temporary closures in Waterloo, this list has everything that is open.

If you are a food service business and would like to be added to this list, please apply below.

Apply to be on map

Retail businesses open during COVID-19

If you're looking for clothing and accessory stores, health and personal care, sporting goods and hobbies, electronics, gardening supplies or general merchandise to service you during the temporary closures in Waterloo, this list has everything that is open.

View the full retail map

If you are a retail service business and would like to be added to this list, please apply below.

Apply to be on map

Resources for re-opening your business
Local businesses helping businesses
  • Shopify: get a retail business online quickly with a three-month trial
  • Vidyard: free video messaging conferencing tools
  • Accelerator Centre: free mentoring workshops across Canada
  • Blackberry: secure connectivity tools free to businesses for 60 days
Call for suppliers to help during COVID-19

Government of Canada resources and programs

As programs are changing regularly, please check Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan for the most up to date information.

Helping business avoid layoffs and rehiring
Helping businesses access credit
Other business programs

The federal government is working with Canadian lenders to make credit available. The six largest financial institutions have made a commitment to work with personal and small business customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions.

Contact your current lending institution for details.

Province of Ontario
Other organizations offering support

Arts and culture support

The city's arts and culture team has put together a series of resources to help during this time.

For further updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Advocacy groups with resources
Grants and financial support
Learning resources