Montrealers warily eye summer with nothing to do as COVID-19's grip on Quebec limits fun
Single mom of 3-year-old boy looks to summer and says, 'I have no idea what I am going to do with him'
Carrie-Ann Despres was looking forward to an action-packed Montreal summer with her three-year-old son.
She was going to use their season passes to La Ronde, tour the city's playgrounds and enjoy weekend adventures like camping in the regions, but those plans have been put on hold indefinitely.
For now, the Quebec government still discourages travel and has given only a handful of activities the green light — activities that for the most part, aren't affordable for a single mom like Despres.
"I have no idea what I am going to do with him," she said of her energetic son, Danny, who turns four in August.
"He's such a summer guy. He loves swimming and parks, and now it's let's go pick flowers for the 50,000th time because that's all we can afford."
With team sports cancelled, the province has allowed things like boating, kite surfing, golf, horseback riding and scuba diving.
Despres is among those who say the province appears to be allowing activities accessible only to wealthy people or those residing outside the city.
Relying on public health's green light
Elected officials from the city and province rely on Quebec's public health authority to decide when and if infrastructures like pools, water games or playgrounds can open.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has said the city is mulling its options over, looking for ways to keep the population safely occupied.
So Despres, who lives in the borough of Saint-Laurent, has been picking flowers and holding curbside picnics with her boy.
She's organized physical distancing play dates with another mom who also self-isolates, but that may soon end as Despres returns to work and her risk of exposure to COVID-19 goes up.
She said Montreal and the province should be providing more options to people who can't afford — or aren't interested in — investing in things like tennis rackets and green fees.
Montrealers can usually look forward to a summer packed with festivals, concerts and movies coupled with cheap family activities, municipal pools and team sports.
Nowadays, even the swings are blocked off in parks and police still have the power to ticket anybody who violates public health directives.
Montreal creates street corridors for active transit
Museums, libraries and drive-ins will be allowed to operate in Quebec with limited service this summer. Beyond that, Montreal spokesperson Catherine Codotte said opening public infrastructure is up to public health.
Until then, the city is taking the unprecedented step of restricting traffic on certain streets to allow people to safely navigate the city on bicycle or foot, she said. Starting in June, parking will be removed from some streets while others will be reduced to a single, one-way lane.
Montreal will open 112 kilometres of pedestrian and cycle routes through the city, connecting major parks and shopping areas in an effort to give people a safe way to stay active and explore the urban landscape.
As for leaving the city, Virginie Rompré, a spokesperson for the tourism minister, said everyone is asked to avoid travelling outside their municipality except when necessary.
Working in collaboration with various tourism industry partners, plans are being developed so tourism activities can be resumed safely, she said.
But the Legault government has been hesitant to predict when anything will open, saying it all depends on how the pandemic evolves in the coming weeks and months.
