A Windsor-Essex community has decided to end a program that helped bars and restaurants through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Municipality of Leamington has discontinued the initiative that allowed restaurant and bar owners to set up temporary patios outdoors, to compensate for indoor capacity limits imposed by the Ontario government to control the spread of COVID-19. The elimination of the program was made necessary by the lifting of capacity limits in places where food and drink are sold.
"The program was launched in 2020 and continued in 2021 to support the local business community through COVID-19 economic recovery," read a media release from the Municipality.
This doesn't mean that business owners will not be able to offer patio service this spring and summer. Uptown Leamington business owners can still apply to put a patio up on a public sidewalk by following the Municipality's Sidewalk By-law.
"An owner shall be permitted to construct and operate a sidewalk patio if the owner complies with all of the provisions contained in this by-law and all of its schedules, the approval and all attached conditions, all other municipal by-laws, and provincial and federal legislation," read a portion of the ordinance, available on the Municipality's official website.
You will need site plan approval from the Municipality if you want to expand a current patio on private property, or create a new patio. The webpage on site plan approval will provide details on that process.