Mayor Not Extending Emergency Order That Originally Closed Windsor’s Malls

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Last updated: Monday April 27th, 1:04pm

Windsor’s Mayor will not be extending a local emergency order that closed Devonshire Mall and Tecumseh Mall on March 20th and prohibited them from operating.

Mayor Drew Dilkens announced Monday morning that the City of Windsor’s state of emergency order regarding the malls will not be extended after it expires on April 30th.

The city says the province of Ontario has enacted strict regulations governing the type of businesses such as individual stores, regardless of location, that are permitted to be open. They say the order closing both Devonshire and Tecumseh malls went further and prohibited operations at the two malls.

Devonshire Mall is pictured in this photo on April 5th, 2020.

After the local order expires, the city says the province’s emergency orders will continue to limit the type of businesses that are permitted to operate to those defined as essential.

“We acknowledge that the local order was enacted at a time prior to the current provincial regulations,” said Dilkens. “We felt there was no need for the city to continue to take action on this front due to the province’s regulations,” he said.

Dilkens says the decision for each mall to reopen will be up to each mall, but he says the vast majority of stores inside the malls would not be allowed to reopen since they’re not considered essential under the province’s orders. “Those regulations remain in effect and will determine which commercial operations within both malls will be permitted to open as of Friday, May 1st,” he said.

Dilkens says the limits on gatherings in public places will apply. “There is still a requirement of no more than 5 people gathering in a public place, and our bylaw officers would continue to do proper enforcement with respect to that,” he said.

windsoriteDOTca will keep you updated on the reopening status of both malls as the situation unfolds.