Provinces Release 2021 Reopening Plans

UPDATE: July 8 this chart was revised. It includes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador.

Provinces across Canada have started to release reopening plans for 2021! British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have all released their plans. Whether it’s steps, phases, zones or stages, each of these provinces have made plans for reopening.

Although we’ve been here before (e.g. Church Doors Are Opening! (11 June 2020), COVID-19: Re-Opening Plans Across Canada (1 May 2020)), many of the plans actually provide a clear endpoint for emergency orders and restrictions.

The key difference this time around is vaccines. All of the openings are tied to vaccination rates. Many also reference hospitalization numbers, whether in specific terms (i.e. Alberta set actual numbers) or generically (i.e. BC requires declining numbers, Ontario refers to “public health indicators”).

Below is a summary chart indicating the dates, links to each of the provincial plans, and key changes for camps, places of worship and social gatherings.

The plans vary widely, with Alberta lifting all restrictions by late June / early July and Ontario maintaining gathering limits of 5 (with restrictions) into late July. Similarly, New Brunswick aims to lift all restrictions on religious gatherings by the beginning of August, while BC has committed only to “increased capacity” by July 1, and Ontario to “larger numbers with restrictions” by late July.

As more provinces and territories release plans for reopening, we’ll add them to the chart. Please also note, that with daily press updates across the country, it may take a bit of time to update the chart but we’ll do our best to keep on top of all the changes.

If you’re looking for more links to various orders, general gathering guidance, emergency declarations, and existing restrictions, you can check out this reference chart.