COVID-19

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit: www.princeedwardisland.ca/covid19 or call the Provincial Government general information line at 1-833-533-9333

Coronavirus Disease - COVID-19

With the evolving health situation regarding COVID-19, the City of Charlottetown wishes to reassure the public that it is closely monitoring information as it is received from health authorities. The City continues to work with its partners at the provincial level to prepare and respond to the increased likelihood of more coronavirus infections in the Maritimes.

City departments continue to execute their business continuity plans to maintain essential services.

Information for Developers and Planning Related Items

The City of Charlottetown Planning and Heritage department is now issuing permits. Contractors, developers, property owners and other members of the public are asked to review information from Public Health and get in touch with the City’s Planning and Heritage department at 902-629-4158, prior to commencing any work. Read the full release.

City Hall Drop-Box and Main Switchboard

Residents are encouraged to use online municipal resources and tools, where available. The main switchboard (902-566-5548) is available to the public Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to direct questions to the appropriate department. A full staff directory by department is available by clicking the Contact Us tab. The City of Charlottetown is committed to assisting residents and providing required services despite the restricted public access to City-owned buildings.
A drop box has been installed at inside the first door at City Hall for anyone looking to deliver documents and or applications for processing. There are three slots available: Planning, tender documents, and bill payments/mail. The drop-box is available Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Essential service employees will continue to assist the public via online, phone, and email services. The public restrictions are a measure to protect residents, City staff and Council, and ensure essential and emergency services are not jeopardized. These restrictions will also help ensure the two-meters of social distancing continues to be met, as per continued recommendations from the Public Health Office.

Water and Sewer Utility Accounts

At this time, there will be no interest charges on late payments and all disconnections for non-payment have been suspended until further notice.

Customers facing economic impacts due to the COVID-19 situation can contact Water and Sewer Utility Accounts to discuss alternate payment options at 902-629-4005. Customers are encouraged to make small monthly payments if possible, in order to reduce future challenges.

Water and Sewer Utility offices are closed to the public. However, staff are available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 902-629-4014 (general inquires). The after-hours emergency number is 902-626-2100.

City Buildings, Playgrounds, Sport Courts, Multi-Purpose Pads, and Facilities

The facilities that have re-opened include the City’s Ball Hockey Rink, Tennis Courts (Victoria Park), basketball courts, and skateboard park. Only five people are permitted to use these outdoor facilities at one time and physical distancing of two metres (or approximately six feet) must be maintained. Sporting equipment, such as basketballs, must not be shared between members of different households, which limits activities requiring equipment to those from the same household.

The following City facilities are restricted, only open to essential City of Charlottetown employees:
• City Works Garage (MacAleer Drive)
• Fire Stations 1 and 2 (Kent Street and St. Peter’s Road)
• Police Services Building and Community Room (10 Kirkwood Drive)
• City Hall (199 Queen Street)
• Planning and Heritage Office (233 Queen Street)
• Charlottetown Wastewater Treatment Plant (18 Riverside Drive)

For detailed information on what these closures mean for residents and how to access municipal services, view the news release.
All playground structures located at City-owned Parks or recreation facilities are closed until further notice.

All City-owned sport and recreation facilities are closed to the public, until further notice. This includes: Cody Banks Arena and Simmons Sports Centre, Parks and Recreation programming, and City Community Centres (Hillsborough Park Community Centre, West Royalty Community Centre, Sherwood Recreation Hall, and Malcolm Darrach Community Centre).
Both the Bell Aliant Centre and the Charlottetown Eastlink Centre are closed until further notice.
All non-essential staff and Council travel has been cancelled and any employees and/or Members of Council returning from travelling outside of the Province of PEI are required to self-isolate for 14 days upon return.
Enhanced cleaning continues at municipal facilities that are open to essential staff and members of Council.
There is no need to stockpile items, however residents are encouraged to always have 72-hours of supplies in case of emergency.

Council Meetings

Essential meetings of Council, including standing committees, are being held by alternate means including video/conference call and live streaming. The public is encouraged to check the meeting calendar prior to attending. The calendar is available under the Mayor and Council tab. To access meetings streamed live, visit the Live Streaming webpage under the Mayor and Council section of the website.

Parkades and Parking Meters

The City of Charlottetown and Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) will waive the monthly parking fee at the Fitzroy, Queen, and Pownal parkades for the month of May. Pre-authorized payments will be cancelled and invoices will not be issued, recognizing that the public may be experiencing financial hardship and there are some delays in Federal and Provincial emergency assistance programs for those dealing with unemployment or reduced hours of work.

Anyone who normally pays for a monthly parking pass will still be able to access the parkades and, for the month of May, will not lose their monthly parking status.

The CADC operated parkades in Charlottetown will also remain open to the general public for the month of May and no hourly or daily fees will be charged.

For further information on the parkades, contact CADC at 902-892-5341 or visit http://cadcpei.com/

Metered parking is also available to the public for anyone who needs to be downtown for work or picking up essential items. Charlottetown Police Services are currently not enforcing for time-related meter violations; however, commissionaires are still patrolling and responding to any safety related parking issues.

Fire Safety Reminders

With self-isolation and social distancing orders in place, children are home from school and many residents are working or staying at home all day. Entire families spending more time at home creates both an opportunity to increase the level of fire safety in the home as well as the potential for experiencing additional challenges. Read the full release.
The City of Charlottetown Fire Department reminds residents, landlords and property owners of important fire safety requirements concerning the use of outdoor cooking equipment to ensure a safe and enjoyable season for all citizens. Read the full news release.

T3 Transit Updates

T3 Transit is continuing to offer its essential service with a reduced ridership. Measures taken by T3 Transit include: increased disinfecting and cleaning, particularly on high-touch surfaces; limiting passengers to seated passengers only and removing the set of three seats at the front of transit buses; and passengers with cough, fever, or flu-like symptoms are asked to please not use public transit.

Signage has also been placed on all buses asking that the public only use T3 Transit for: Work travel; Medical appointments; Food and shelter needs; and, Shopping for groceries and essentials.

Effective Monday, March 23, 2020: no paper transfers will be used on T3 Transit for safety reasons under the organization's COVID-19 measures. The public is asked to tell their driver if they are a transfer passenger and the communication will be radioed to the transfer driver. For more on the T3 Transit schedules and measures put in place during the pandemic, visit the T3 Transit website.

The City will continue to share regular updates to keep residents up-to-date on any changes to municipal programs and services.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, including the latest information, advice, and FAQs, visit the Province of PEI COVID-19 webpages or call 1-800-958-6400

Recommendations for self-isolation

Islanders with questions about COVID-19 should call PEI’s toll-free information line at 1-833-533-9333. The information line is taking messages 24-hours a day, 7 days a week and Islanders who leave messages will receive a call back from the Chief Public Health Office.

Islanders experiencing symptoms (cough, fever, or shortness of breath) within 14 days of travel outside of the Province of PEI should call 8-1-1 to be screened and, if necessary, directed for testing.

Those requiring immediate medical attention should call 9-1-1.

There are a lot of resources available for individuals and businesses during this stressful time dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Province of PEI's website is the best source of information in this public health emergency, many of the City's partners have also put a lot of work into compiling resources that might help the public. Here are just a few that might assist residents and businesses in navigating through this difficult time: