Maitland Conservation is adjusting operations to help reduce the risk of transmissions of coronavirus (COVID-19).

• The Maitland Conservation Administration Centre has reopened for limited service. The entryway to the office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Masks are required in the entryway and the space is restricted to one individual or household at a time.  Please ring the doorbell for service. A limited number if staff will be in the office. We strongly recommend that you call or email to set up an appointment if you need to speak with a staff member in person . 
• Many staff members continue to work remotely and are available by telephone and email. Open our staff directory to find contact information.
• Please be assured that flood and erosion safety services will continue as usual. If you need to report a flood or erosion emergency please call 519-357-0890.

Maitland Conservation Events

We have also made some changes to Conservation Authority events:

• The Wingham area floodplain mapping Public Information Centre scheduled for March 24, 2020 has been postponed. We are currently developing a plan to hold the PIC in October. Information will be mailed to residents outlining the date and format of the session.
• The Maitland Conservation membership recently approved holding a Public Information Centre relating to the Gorrie Dam decommissioning project. This public consultation outreach is expected to be held in the fall. Once the format of this session has been determined, information will be posted about how community members can participate.
• The Maitland Conservation Members’ meeting scheduled for Wednesday September 16, 2020 will be held  at the Wroxeter Hall. If you are interested in viewing the meeting in a webinar format, please email Jayne Thompson at jthompson@mvca.on.ca by noon on Wednesday September 16, 2020.

Falls Reserve Conservation Area

COVID-19 Stage 3 UPDATE

Falls Reserve Conservation Area is open to visitors with physical distancing guidelines in place. If the park is to remain open we need visitors to respect the operating procedures outlined below. If you’re calling or emailing with questions please be patient; park staff are very busy dealing with park operations, busy phone lines and camping inquires.

Seasonal Camping

Falls Reserve is accepting applications for new seasonal campers. Please email falls@frca.on.ca for information on the application process and site availability.

Day Use

The Conservation Area is open for vehicle day use entry from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily. Day use permits will only be issued until 6:00 pm, but day visitors may stay in the park until 8:00 pm. If overcrowding with limited options for physical distancing becomes a safety issue, access into the park will be restricted.

Day use washrooms are open with strict physical distancing guidelines in place. Only one household, social circle or single individual may use the washroom facilities at one time. Washrooms will be closed during posted times of the day for cleaning, disinfecting or maintenance.

Please note the following day use restrictions:

• Day use visitors will NOT be permitted to enter campground areas.
• All Day Use visitors must maintain physical distancing of 2 metres at all times from anyone not living at same household or in the same social circle. Physical distancing requirements apply while at the Falls swimming area, while using day use areas and while using park trails.
• Walkers and cyclists are asked to stay on the trails and paved road surfaces. Follow physical distancing requirements – stay 2 metres apart.
• Day use areas are open to small gatherings of 10 people or less. If you are not members of the same household or social circle you are required to maintain a physical distance or two metres from other people in the gathering. We are aware that the province has move into “Stage 3” however, to ensure the safety of everyone in the Conservation Area, we are restricting day use group gatherings to a maximum of 10 people with physical distancing guidelines in place.
• Larger group gatherings (not exceeding 50 people) may be approved by the Park Superintendent in specific situations including groups renting the Pavilion, holding wedding ceremonies or Group Camp reservations that are pre-registered and approved by the Park Superintendent.
• Anyone feeling sick or showing symptoms of COVID19 shall not enter the Conservation Area.

Pavilion Shelter

• The pavilion shelter has now reopened to pre-registered groups and is limited to gatherings no larger than 25 people. The Pavilion is not open to the general public, only to pre-registered groups.
• Pavilion Rental must be made by email to falls@frca.on.ca . The Park Superintendent will reply and provide the pavilion rental instructions.
• Advanced reservations are required to use the pavilion and must be approved by the Park Superintendent. Please do not arrive at the park without a prior pavilion rental.
• When your group is using the pavilion please maintain physical distancing of a minimum of 2 metres with anyone who is not part of your household or social circle.

Fishing Pond

• Fishing Pond has been reopened for children and youth fishing ONLY, with adult supervision.
• Adults are not permitted to fish in the fishing pond for the remainder of the season, only to supervise and assist their child with angling.
• The pond is open during daylight hours only with use of barbless hooks only.
• All fish caught in the pond are catch and release. No fish are to be taken from the pond for the remainder of this season to help restore the pond fishery.
• Youth 13 – 17 require a $4 daily fishing permit available at the gatehouse from 9am to 8pm. Children 12 and under do not require a permit to fish.
• Please maintain physical distancing of a minimum of 2 metres with anyone who is not part of your household or social circle while fishing at the pond.
• Note: the pond has NOT been stocked for the 2020 season, but does hold a largemouth bass population that we are working to restore.

The following park facilities remain closed:

• Picnic pavilion is only open to pre-registered groups. It remains closed to other park visitors.
• Playgrounds will remain closed for the season.
• Showers will remain closed for the season.

Camping Reservations

• On-line reservations may be made anytime at: http://www.mvca.on.ca/camping/falls-reserve-camping-reservations/
• Advanced reservations are currently required to camp at Falls Reserve. Please do not arrive at the park without a reservation.
• Reservations may also be made by calling the park office between 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily at 519-524-6429 or at 1-877-FALLSCA. Please note that phone reservations will not be accepted on Fridays after 2:00 pm, customers can still make online reservations during this time.
• Please email MVweb@camis.comor call 519-524-6429 or toll free 1-877-FALLSCA for questions about your current booking.
• If you need to cancel a reservation that was made online, please do this cancellation online. Please do not call the park to cancel reservations made online.

Camping Information

• Both serviced and non-serviced campsites are open at Falls Reserve.
• Campsite occupancy is limited to 6 people (including children and infants) per campsite as set out in our Conservation Area Regulations. Campsite occupancy is restricted to people living at the same home address or within the same social circle. Visitor gatherings on individual campsites cannot exceed 10 people at a time to effectively maintain social distancing.
• Extra fees apply to campsites with more than 2 adults, as per campsite booking policies.
• The gatehouse is open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm from Saturday to Thursday. The gatehouse is open from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm on Fridays.  Only campers with a prior campsite booking may enter the park after these hours to access their reserved campsite. If you arrive after hours staff will stop by your campsite to verify your reservation. Remember, please do not arrive at the park without a reservation. 
• Out of park visitors will NOT be allowed in to visit the campgrounds, unless arriving visitors are members living in the same household or part of the campsite member’s social circle.
• In-park campers are allowed to visit other campsites as long as site gatherings do not exceed 10 people maximum and 2 metre physical distancing measures are in place.
• Campers with bathroom facilities in their trailers are encouraged to use those facilities rather than the park washrooms.
• Campground washrooms are open with strict physical distancing guidelines in place. Only one household, social circle or single individual may use the washroom facilities at one time.
• Washrooms will be closed during posted times of the day for cleaning, disinfecting or maintenance. A barricade will be placed around the washrooms while they are being cleaned. Please respect this barricade.
• Showers will remain closed for the 2020 season.

Group Camping

• Group campsites have reopened under specific restrictions and with prior approval of the Park Superintendent. All group members must be listed in an email prior to approval. Campers not listed will NOT be allowed to access the group camp area.
• Group camp reservations must be made by email to falls@frca.on.ca . The Park Superintendent will reply and provide the group camping instructions.
• Advanced group camp reservations are required to camp on a group campsite and must be approved by the Park Superintendent. Please do not arrive at the park without a reservation.
• Please maintain physical distancing of a minimum of 2 metres with anyone who is not part of your household or social circle.

Other Conservation Areas

All other Conservation Areas have reopened for limited day use access.

• Please follow physical distancing recommendations – stay 2 metres apart.
• No fires, camping or social gatherings.

For information on the local COVID-19 situation visit the Huron Perth Public Health website at: hpph.ca

Maitland Conservation apologizes for the inconvenience these changes may cause but we are committed to protecting the health of our staff and watershed communities. If additional changes to our operations are required, we will provide updates on our website and social media channels.

If you have questions or concerns please contact:

Jayne Thompson, Communications and GIS-IT Coordinator
Maitland Conservation
jthompson@mvca.on.ca
Cell: 519-357-6670