QUEEN’S PARK — Doug Ford’s Conservatives voted down an NDP motion today calling for the immediate safe re-opening of outdoor activities. NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh, who put forward the motion on behalf of the Official Opposition, said Ontario’s New Democrats won’t stop fighting to give families the freedom to get outside and participate in safe activities like cricket, basketball practice and golf.
 
“Families are incredibly frustrated that Doug Ford and his Conservatives are refusing the back down from their ban on outdoor recreational amenities when the science is telling us we should be doing the opposite,” said Singh. “By keeping outdoor recreational amenities closed, Ford is hurting kids and families who have been cooped up inside for months. Not only is getting outside a relief for people and children coping with anxiety and isolation — it’s safer than being indoors.”
 
Ford’s Conservatives voted down Singh’s motion by a vote of 63 to 21.
 
If Andrea Horwath were premier today, she would follow the Science Table’s advice, including:

• Closing non-essential workplaces
• Opening safe outdoor recreation and amenities
• Focusing on hotspots
• Providing paid sick days to workers

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Background
 
Singh’s motion calling for the immediate safe re-opening of outdoor recreation amenities reads as follows:
 
That, in the opinion of House, the Ford Government should allow outdoor amenities and activities to immediately re-open safely in keeping with the recommendations of the Ontario Science Table and other public health experts as part of an overall effort to promote the mental and physical health of Ontarians during COVID-19 lockdown orders.