COVID-19 Lambton Shores Updates

At the present, Lambton Shores continues to offer By-law Enforcement services. To limit public interaction, residents are now required to file their complaints via phone or e-mail.

To report an issue call 519-243-1400, Ext. 8412 or email: Roberta Brandon

At the present time, Lambton Shores continues to issue building permits, however the ability to actually start a project is governed by O.Reg. 82/20 (Closure of Places of Non-Essential Businesses), as updated and amended by O.Reg  119/20, which requires that certain businesses close and remain closed while the Order is in effect.

Please visit the Essential Workplaces List for more information. 

Of note, NO residential, construction activity is allowed if the construction was not approved and started before April 4 at 11:59pm.

The issuance of a building permit by the Municipality of Lambton Shores does not relieve the permit holder of the need to determine whether the construction is permitted to proceed in accordance with O.Reg 82/20 as amended.

Site inspections required by the Ontario Building Code will continue to take place as outlined below for residential projects where a building permit was issued prior to April 4.

In addition to the previous notes, the following changes have been made to the building permit process during this unprecedented time:

• Building permit applications will only be available for drop-off at the Northville Office.
• Once a permit is ready for pick-up, the applicant will be contacted to schedule a specific time and location to sign the appropriate paper work and pay for the permits.
• For permits issued prior to April 4, 2020, inspections should be booked as normal by phone or email, however in order to ensure social distancing, inspection sites must be vacated while our inspector is conducting the inspection. This can be accomplished by either leaving the site or by simply waiting in a vehicle while the inspection is completed. The results of the inspection will be communicated to you through email or phone.

If you have any questions regarding these new practices, please contact the Building Department as follows:

Phone: 519-243-1400, Ext. 8510

Email: Jackie Mason

Burial services will continue as normal with attendence restrictions in place, as per the Ontario Governments Declaration of Emergency. Please call the municipal office as usual for information or to make arrangements. 

If you have any questions, please contact: 

Phone: 519-243-1400 Ext. 8611
Email: Karen Cameron

Meeting information and schedules will be updated on the Council Meeting Calendar.

Lambton Shores Fire Stations remain fully functional. We are taking precautionary measures to ensure that volunteer firefighters can attend emergencies. Updates to our services include:

• Volunteer firefighters will still respond to incidents, however, you may see members wearing personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, and protective eyewear. This is for their protection. To decrease the risk of exposure to our firefighters, we are asking all residents to ensure their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning properly to reduce the number of false alarm calls. 
• Fire inspections will continue as normal.
• Public Education and Prevention activities have been temporarily suspended.

At this time we would ask that all correspondence be done by phone or e-mail. 

Yard Waste Fires

Due to the pleasant spring weather we are noticing an increase in yard waste fires. Open air burning can be a fire hazard, as well as infringing on the enjoyment of your neighbours.  Check online and review our Open Air Burning By-law before starting your burn. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Lambton Shores Fire Chief as follows:
Phone: 519-243-1400 Ext. 8801
Email: Lawrence Swift

At this time, garbage and recycling collection is not impacted. For regular updates visit the Bluewater Recycling Association webpage. 

Information on our leaf pick-up program and Compost Site will be provided as it becomes available. 

Under Provincial Emergency Order, all recreational marinas have been deemed non-essential services. Lambton Shores’ marinas in Port Franks and Grand Bend remain closed and are tentatively scheduled to open May 16th, 2020. We will update this notice with new information as it becomes available. 

Planning and Development

The Lambton Shores Planning Department continues to review all development proposals and planning applications.

Although public meetings cannot be held at this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Municipality asks that you continue to plan your projects in discussion with staff and submit applications when they are ready. By doing so, staff can start the application process and help reduce future backlogs.  Until then however, the Municipality will not be able to hold public meetings or make decisions on Minor Variances, Consents (severances), Official Plan and Zoning Amendments,  Draft Subdivision and Condominium Approvals, and any other approval under the Planning Act requiring a public meeting or subject to an appeal period.

All applications, approvals, and processes not requiring a formal public meeting or subject to an appeal period remain unaffected. This includes general advisory services, site plan approvals, completion of development agreements, final subdivision and condominium approvals, and stamping of deeds for conditionally approved consents.

Our planning and engineering staff remains available through email or phone to answer any inquires you may have; however no in-persons meetings are currently being scheduled.

If you have any planning related inquiries, please contact Will Nywening as follows:

Phone 519-243-1400, Ext. 8512

Email: Will Nywening

• Shores Recreation Centre
• Legacy Recreation Centre
• Port Franks Community Centre
• Thedford Village Complex
• Arkona Community Centre
• Arkona Senior Centre
• Grand Bend Recreation Centre

Refunds will be processed for any rentals that have been cancelled as a result of the closures.  

Park Closures

Under Provincial Emergency Order, all outdoor recreational amenities are now closed.  This includes, but is not limited to: playgrounds, sports fields, basketball and tennis courts, off-leash dog parks, beaches, skateboard and BMX parks, picnic areas, outdoor community gardens, park shelters, outdoor exercise equipment, condo parks and gardens, and other outdoor recreational amenities. 

Rental Requests

We are accepting requests for future rentals but they will not be approved until our facilities have re-opened. You may request a booking through

• Submitting an online request
• Emailing Events
• Calling 519-243-1400, option 3

Staff will be in touch with your to discuss your request. 

Event Permits

Event permits will still be received by the Municipality. Visit our Plan an Event page for more information and event applications. Permits will not be approved until facilities have re-opened. 

Lambton County has provided a Social Services Poster to answer your immediate questions. 

Please visit the Lambton County Social Services page for more information. 

Tax bills are issued in late January. The first installment was due on February 28. The next installment will be due on May 29.

Payments

Payments can be made by various methods. Information is available on our website.

Customers that are set up with monthly budget billing and installment pre-authorized payments, these will continue as scheduled.  If there are any questions, please contact the Finance Department at 519-243-1400 option 1.

At this time there will be no interruption to the water and wastewater billings.  As a reminder, the following locations will be billed in the next few months as planned:

March – former Bosanquet area

April – Grand Bend and Arkona

May – Forest, Thedford and rural expansion area

Payments

Payments can be made by various methods.  Information is available here on our website. 

Customers that are set up with pre-authorized payments, they will continue as scheduled; however, if you have a concern and need to discontinue this process, please contact the Finance Department at 519-243-1400 option 1.

Water and Wastewater services will general be provided in the normal fashion. Urgent matters including water main breaks, sewage back-ups, etc. will continue to be handled on an as need basis and should be reported by phone or through our website.

Water Turn-On Services

For those returning from out of the country that are requesting the water to be turned on, we would ask that if at all possible an alternative person be available for our operators to meet with in order to limit exposure of our staff. Typically a neighbour or family member has been asked to “look after” your property while you are away and would be a good contact for our staff if possible. By doing this, you will also have water ready to use upon your arrival.

Regardless of whom our staff meets, when we are required to attend your property we would ask that you practice social distancing and maintain at least 2m (6ft) distance between the operator and member of the household. If our operator needs to enter your resident to address a leak, we would ask that you remove yourself from the area (go to an upper level or leave the premises) to allow our staff to address the concern.

If you have any questions regarding your utilities, please contact Nick Verhoeven at 519-243-1400, ext. 8213

• Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre
• North Lambton Community Health Centre
• The Family Counselling Centre will continue to provide Distress Line and Tel-Check throughout the pandemic. 
  • Tel-Check Brochure 
  • Distress Line Website 

• Concerned About Abuse Poster

• Stop the Spread Business Information Line - 1-888-444-3659
• Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce
• Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
  • COVID-19 E-Commerce Support
• Southwestern Ontario Tourism Corporation
• Additional Support for Canadian Businesses from the Economic Impact of COVID-19
• Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)
• Federal Support to Businesses

2 Main Street South, Forest

519-786-2104

**Delivery available, call the store for details**

Pharmasave Forest Pharmacy

19 King Street West, Forest

519-786-5161

pharmasave.com/forest

Pharmasave Grand Bend Pharmacy

46 Ontario Street South, Grand Bend

519-238-6506

pharmasave.com/grand-bend

** Delivery available, call store for details. Currently a limit to the number of people in the store at any given time.** 

Shopper’s Drug Mart Grand Bend

65 Main Street East, Grand Bend

519-238-8540

Stores.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/store/1023

**First opening hour dedicated to customers who need assistance, including seniors and people living with disabilities Shopper's is now taking over the phone orders. **

7291 Arkona Road, Arkona

519-828-3577

**Grocery Delivery is available through a partnership with Arkona Lions Club and Arkona Automotive. Please call the Arkona Food Market to place your order and arrange for delivery at 519-828-3577**

Forest Contact House

Open Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

6276 Townsend Line, Forest ON

**Please note there is a limit to the number of people allowed in. Food will be delivered curbside to your vehicle.**

Forest Foodland

88 King Street East, Forest

519-786-2321

Ontario.foodland.ca/stores.forest

** Reduced hours, first hour of shopping reserved for seniors and vulnerable individuals. Forest Foodland is now offering pickup or delivery options Monday-Friday 9am-5pm (to Forest and surrounding area) for those with a compromised immune system or for vulnerable people in the community Delivery is also available to those in self-isolation or quarantine. Using this service is easy! Simply email  forestfoodland@gmail.com with your order and contact information.  For more information call the store at 519-786-2321.**

Lambton Elderly Outreach

Meal Delivery Service

https://www.lambtonelderlyoutreach.org/

Mike and Terri’s No Frills

98 Ontario Street South, Grand Bend

519-288-6211

**Special hours for seniors and vulnerable individuals, 7am-8am Tuesday and Friday. Grocery pickup available through Grand Bend Pandemic Support**

Sobeys Grand Bend

55 Main Street East, Grand Bend

519-238-8944

sobeys.com/en/stores/sobeys-grand-bend/

** Reduced hours, first hour of shopping reserved for seniors and vulnerable individuals. Grocery pickup available through Grand Bend Pandemic Support**

Williamson Farms and County Store

14 King Street West, Forest

226-520-0144

https://williamsonfarms.ca/

**Williamson Farm and Country Store is offering curbside pickup or delivery throughout the Lambton Shores area. For more information visit their website or call at 519-520-0144**

Zavitz General Store

99 Main Street, Thedford

519-296-4994

**Some product limitations in effect, delivery available, please call the store for details**

Many other local businesses are adapting operations to continue to serve the Lambton Shores community.  The Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has compiled a list of Chamber member business information.  Other business listings can be found online through the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership and the Forest BIA.  Please connect directly with businesses to confirm availability and services offered.  

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Local Businesses Page