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The site of the new Holy Family Cemetery © G oo gl e M ap s ANewCemetery forHaltonRegion Holy Family Cemetery is open to assist members of the Catholic community in Halton. Conveniently located at Lower Base Line and Bronte Road, the cemetery offers options for in-ground burial and above-ground niches for cremated remains. T h e R om a n C a t h o l i c E p i s c o p a l C o r p o r a t i o n o f t h e D i o c e s e o f H am i l t o n i n O n t a r i o www.thecatholiccemeteries.ca For more information, please call 1-800-661-5985. in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 12 ,2 02 0 | 10 commodate diners while maintaining the physical distancing needed to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Town also waived around $144,000 in fees so restaurants could establish these patios. "Our patio program was a successful component of our Commercial Recovery Initiative. Over 90 patio per- mits were issued under the program in 2020," said Do- rothy St. George, the Town's director of Economic Devel- opment and Strategic Initia- tives. "We undertook a survey of existing patio permit holders and they indicated a desire to keep the patios open to help them through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our consultation with BIAs also indicated a strong de- sire to keep this program go- ing through the winter." Running a patio in the wintertime presents no shortage of challenges, and St. George noted the Town has established guidelines to address them and keep everyone safe. For example, the guide- lines state that if a patio op- erator wants to provide heating in a covered area, a review by the Oakville Fire Department is required. Patio operators will also be responsible for keeping their patios accessible and clear of snow and ice. St. George noted that when tents are used patio permit holders will be re- quired to demonstrate that their tent can safely accom- modate snow and wind loads. She also pointed out that larger tents will require building permits. Ward 2 Councillor Ray Chisholm asked about the liability the Town faces if there is an accident or a fire at one of these Town land patios. St. George noted the Town has insurance on its lands and would be covered under such a scenario. If all goes well, St. George said, patio season may con- tinue into the New Year. "At the end of December this year, once we have had a chance to ascertain the feasibility of really having patios throughout a winter cold month season, we can determine whether patio season for 2021 will start in January or if we should push it out to start in the regular spring," said St. George. Town staff have empha- sized that fully covered and enclosed spaces are not con- sidered outdoor dining ar- eas. News of the patio season extension was well received by Oakville Chamber of Commerce president Drew Redden, who said local res- taurants must be given ev- ery chance to succeed dur- ing these challenging times. "If there are any regula- tions that any level of gov- ernment can ease to sup- port a restaurant's ability to operate and manage through this crisis, we have to consider them," he said. Angelo Triant, co-owner of the King's Arms pub in downtown Oakville, talked about the importance of having a winterized patio. He said they typically shut their patio down Oct. 1. However, due to the hardships of COVID-19 their landlord has permitted them to keep their patio open as long as they can. Their patio is now tent- ed, features two commercial heaters, and seats about 36 people. "People are enjoying it," said Triant. "It is another option for people who don't feel safe dining in." Triant acknowledged the winterized patio also gives him another option in the event the province shuts down indoor dining again. Manny Tsouvallas, own- er of the Colossus Greek Ta- verna, is a participant in the Town's temporary patio program, creating a patio that seats around 22 people. He said he plans to keep that patio going through the winter and has invested in a tent and four heaters. "I was worried a couple days ago when there were some heavy winds, but you have these professional rental companies that are providing these tents," said Tsouvallas. "They know what they're doing ... Nothing happened to it." The downtown restaura- teur said people have been making use of the patio and noted tented patios that have the right look can even increase a restaurant's ex- posure. Local restaurateur Julia Hanna said many restau- rants will have to struggle to determine whether the po- tential rewards from a win- terized patio will be worth the investment and mainte- nance costs. She said allowing restau- rants to make use of Town land for their patios is a step in the right direction, but ar- gued the municipality, the province or the federal gov- ernment should make funds available to offset some of the expenses for these win- terized patios. The Halton Region's re- cent COVID-19 Business Im- pact Survey found that the pandemic has placed con- siderable stress on Oak- ville's small business com- munity, including the res- taurant industry. The survey found that 78 per cent of businesses re- ported decreased revenue while 74 per cent reported a reduction in sales or cus- tomers. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: The Town of Oak- ville announced that it was extending their temporary patio program into the winter and we wanted to hear what the business community and restauran- teurs thought about this program and the feasibility of running a patio in the winter. Continued from page 1 SAFETY STANDARDS IN PLACE FOR PATIO TENTS The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Halton Region continues to reach new heights. Data from the Halton Region Public Health from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4 show 250 new active cases, with 42 cases being resolved. The majority of cases in the region were report- ed in Oakville, with 126, and Milton, with 88. Just over half of cases reported during the week were women. The majority of infec- tions were in residents from ages 40 to 59, with 102 new cases; 88 residents were between the ages of 20 to 39; and 59 cases for people age 19 and under. For people 60 years of age and older, there were 43 new cases. Oakville and Milton had the greatest amount of new cases. New cases were attri- buted to outbreak (26 cases), contact (105 cases) and community spread (60 cases) were the lead- ing cause of transmis- sion. As of Nov. 5, the num- ber of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in the region stands at 2,411 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 2046 resolved cases and 36 fatalities. WEEKLY ROUNDUP: COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO CLIMB BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com COVID-19 tests in Halton Region continue to show growing numbers. Rick Madonik photo NEWS