The City of Windsor recognizes that residents required to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic may have additional waste.  Starting Monday, April 20 and running until May 15, 2020 every household can place up to two extra garbage bags (not in hard-sided containers) with their garbage on their scheduled collection day.   While hard-sided containers are always preferred, during this special month of collections, crews will pick up a maximum of two extra bags that are not in pails.

Each bag should:

• Be strong enough to securely hold its contents
• Weigh no more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds)
• Be closed or tied at the top
• Be placed next to your garbage pails (not on top of the pail)
• Not contain sharp objects, paint, batteries or any other household chemical waste

Residents are reminded that all waste is to be set out by 6 a.m. on scheduled collection days.  Pickup may be somewhat delayed with the addition of more garbage to be collected on the route. If your garbage is not collected by 8 p.m., please call 311 to report a missed collection.  Your patience during this time is appreciated.

Residents are also reminded that bulk collection remains available and are asked to call 311 to place a request for this service.

Help Keep Collectors Safe

It is important that residents practice safe waste disposal to help protect collectors from the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Do not place garbage loosely in garbage pails. Please ensure all garbage is in bags, then placed in the garbage pail. If you or someone in your household is feeling unwell, place any items that have come in contact with your mouth, nose or eyes into a bag and then into your garbage pail.  This includes items that might normally go into your Blue Box, such as plastic bottles, pop cans or juice containers.

Please respect social distancing measures with your collection crews and do not approach the vehicle or operators.

Visit www.citywindsor.ca/covid-19 for the latest information on adjusted municipal services. 

The monthly meeting of the Peterborough Astronomical Association's (PAA) will still take place online May 1st, not at our customary location of the Rotary Education Centre/Guest Services Building, Riverview Park Zoo, but instead in your own home. Even Covid-19 cannot stop the spread of information and knowledge by the members of the PAA. Our work around involves using a platform called Zoom. To participate just make sure that in advance, you opened a (free) Zoom account on whatever phone or tablet device you wish to participate with and then contact paamal3@peterboroughastronomy.com for the password and link to our evenings presentations.

This year’s “Novice Astronomy Classes” are focused on the practical aspects of learning about astronomy. You will introduce to astronomy related subjects at a very basic level, but in a logical sequence.  This month's session is entitled  “Deep Sky Objects Part 2”. There will be discussion and illustrations of Supernovae, Black Holes, Neutron Stars & Pulsars, Gamma Ray Bursts, Blazars and Gravitational Waves. If you are interested, be on-line by 6:00 p.m. The classes will run about 45 minutes each session, before our regular meeting resumes. 

Our main presentation for May will start shortly after 7:00 p.m. and this month, it will feature Past Member and PhD candidate, Gabriel Bliard, with a talk entitled, “Equations Written in the Stars”, Gabriel is Zooming to us from France and he will talk about the development of mathematics in astronomy and the birth of theoretical physics. The talk will include the contributions of Isaac Newton, Pierre-Simon de Laplace, as well as Albert Einstein and more modern physicists, finishing with what Gabriel and the physics community are working on nowadays. Come out and learn about the history of this important and expanding field of research. The price is right…it costs you nothing but your time.  

Then we can continue with the Sky This Month and other regular club features. There will also be the usual opportunities to have your questions answered, at no cost. All we ask is that you register in advance at paamal3@peterboroughastronomy.com This is an all ages meeting and  the venue is totally barrier free. Also, you don’t need a telescope to participate, but a curious mind helps.

The City of Windsor is reluctantly announcing the cancellation of the annual Mayor’s Walk and City Birthday Celebration events, the perennial plant sale and regular spring recreation and culture programming. Due to facility closures and social distancing requirements of COVID-19 and the impact on staff who are counted on to organize the celebrations, the cancellations are deemed unavoidable.

The plant sale, which is a fundraiser for the Paul Martin Gardens, is regularly held each May, but again, with social distancing and the call for residents to stay home, cancellation is the right course of action.

For recreation and culture programming, credits will be applied to all accounts where payments have been received for use in the future when programming restarts.

The Summer Activity Guide will be available in May, 2020 and, subject to guidance from public health officials, the City of Windsor will plan for a resumption of culture and recreation activities for all ages as soon as safely possible.

“As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to impact all aspects of our daily lives, it is vital that we take all possible steps to flatten the curve in our community,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “It is my hope that these signature events as well as regular culture and recreation programing can be restarted this summer.”

Residents with specific questions regarding their accounts are encouraged to contact the city via parkrec@citywindsor.ca or by calling 311.