COVID-19
City facilities including City Hall are closed to the public. Many services will remain available, but changes have been made to reduce the need for people to leave their home to access services.
The official website for the City of London, Ontario
To support London businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of London has established a Back to Business (B2B) action team and intake portal. B2B is a temporary initiative designed to provide rapid and flexible responses to business’ requests associated with reopening.
Do you have questions about how the state of emergency and stay at home order may impact your business? Call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659. You can also visit the Government of Ontario's Help for Business webpage
Frequently asked questions
To get answers to your questions, call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659. You can also visit the Government of Ontario's Help for Business webpage.
To find out the how the state of emergency and stay-at-home-order impact your business operations, please visit the Government of Ontario’s Help for Business webpage.
To learn more about business supports, please visit the Government of Ontario’s Help for Business webpage.
Patios will not be operating during the Provincial State of Emergency and provincial stay-at-home order. The following information applies to the operation of patios once the State of Emergency has ended.
Temporary measures have been extended to allow outdoor patios to stay operational until April 14, 2021. This extension is designed to help local businesses continue safely providing goods and services in the months ahead, and may change if affected by directives issued by the Province of Ontario.
Please keep the following in mind as the weather changes:
Heaters, including fire fueled appliances like propane patio heaters, will be allowed on outdoor patios in London, including sidewalks. The London Fire Department has provided a set of safe operation guidelines below on this update. It is critically important that you read, understand and follow all safety requirements for any heating devices used.
Your heater must:
Any roof structure greater than 10m2 that is not fabric covered e.g. a tent, requires a building permit.
Required Action: If your insurance coverage is adversely affected by the material change in risk associated with your patio, you must contact riskmanagement@london.ca to notify the City of the changes to your insurance coverage.
It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure the safe installation, operation and maintenance of portable outdoor patio heating units. Follow all manufacturer guidelines for assembly, installation and maintenance of the appliance. Seek the assistance of a qualified professional if required.
The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs has partnered with the Technical Standards and Safety Association on the Safe Use of Heaters on Outdoor Patios.
If you choose to use a propane or other fire fueled heating appliance, please ensure you closely follow these specific safety guidelines:
DO install your heater:
DO NOT install your portable heating appliance:
All questions regarding these guidelines can be directed to The London Fire Department at fireforms@london.ca
Always refer to the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) for the latest public health advice and workplace safety guidance.
Back to Business brings together city staff from permitting, bylaw enforcement, parking, roads and transportation, business relations, planning, and the Clerk’s office, among others, with a goal of expediting requests so that businesses can get back to serving their customers safely.
Since its launch on June 9, The City of London’s B2B team has assisted with requests for space allowance for curbside pick-up and sidewalk customer queues, as well as temporary measures using public space for expanded outdoor patios and merchandise displays.