The Town of Tecumseh declared a state of local emergency today in tandem with the County of Essex and regional municipalities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This declaration follows Ontario’s declaration on March 17 as well as similar declarations by municipalities across Canada .

“This declaration provides us with another tool to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic quickly and effectively by bringing resources on-stream, as needed. We will continue to share information and make decisions that protect Tecumseh. We are regularly in contact as Council and we are working together with Administration for the safety, security and health of our Town. Our risk level for COVID-19 continues to remain low and I am very proud of our residents and businesses for taking swift action to protect themselves, their families and their workers,” said Gary McNamara, Mayor of Tecumseh. “We are in the early stages of this pandemic and it has been shown that social distancing, staying home and washing your hands is paramount in preventing the spread of illness I continue to call on everyone to practice social distancing, stay home if you don’t need to go out and follow the guidance of our Public Health agencies to the letter. Every one of us doing our part is important.”

Emergency Declarations are outlined in Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and provide municipalities the ability to respond to an emergency situation quickly as well as call on the Province for assistance. As COVID-19 is an ongoing situation that changes daily, local municipalities like Tecumseh must make decisions quickly in the public interest.

“I commend Council for their ongoing support as  we work together through  Tecumseh’s Administrative team to implement actions to stave off the spread of COVID-19 and maintain services,” said Margaret Misek-Evans, Chief Administrative Officer. “We continue to follow the advice of federal, provincial and local health authorities while continuing to offer services for our residents. Staff have been absolutely fantastic in working with senior management on the rapidly changing work and service delivery environment. I applaud the efforts of our staff and know they are truly appreciated by Mayor and Council.”

Tecumseh closed all public facing offices on Wednesday, March 18 at noon. This includes the Town Hall, Arena, Fire Hall and Public Works and Parks & Recreation Offices. Work continues in the offices with service provided by phone, e-mail and drop-box. Phones continue to be answered during regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and online service requests remain available at all times. For changes in services, we encourage citizens to monitor our website and social media feeds.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit; Travel Advisories; Health Canada; and, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Information on this and all Town of Tecumseh news and events is available at www.tecumseh.ca, Twitter (@TownofTecumseh), and Facebook (Town of Tecumseh).

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Program Contacts:     

Marg Misek-Evans, Chief Administrative Officer, 519-735-2184 Ext. 111

Wade Bondy, Fire Chief, Director of Fire and Rescue Services, 519-979-4041 Ext. 210