You Asked is a regular NewmarketToday feature. We’ll do our best to get the answers to your most pressing questions about what’s going on in Newmarket. Email [email protected] and please include the words You Asked in the subject line.
*************************
You asked:
Newmarket resident Derrill MacDonald wonders why there are hundreds of vehicles parked at the Ray Twinney Recreation Centre parking lot while the facility is closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“Many of the cars have U.S. plates, such as Florida,” said MacDonald, of the cars parked at the 100 Eagle St. W. facility.
Here’s the answer:
When the Ontario government declared a state of emergency mid-March and began to shut down non-essential workplaces, public spaces, schools, and more, in a bid to halt the spread of COVID-19, the Newmarket Enterprise car rental location got more vehicles returned than it had room to park.
Public health officials urged people to stay at home as much as possible and the 17725 Yonge St. business was met with unexpected numbers of rental returns and it needed to find an alternate location to store these vehicles, said the Town of Newmarket’s recreation and culture director, Colin Service.
“The Newmarket Enterprise Rent-a-Car approached the town and offered to rent the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex parking lot for car storage,” Service said. “The town entered into a short-term lease with Newmarket Enterprise, where cars can be removed with one week’s notice, and the town is receiving payment for the space.”
Currently, there are about 100 cars in the Ray Twinney parking lot.
