May 28, 2020 Hon. Doug Ford Premier, Province of Ontario Via email at: [email protected] Hon. Christine Elliott Minister of Health Deputy Premier [email protected] Hon. Todd Smith Minister of Children. Community and Social Services [email protected] Hon. Vic Fedeli Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Chair of Cabinet [email protected] Hon. Lisa MacLeod Minister of Heritage, sport, Tourism and Culture Industries [email protected] Hon. Jill Dunlop Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues [email protected] Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction [email protected] Hon. Michael A. Tibollo Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions [email protected] Dear Hon. Doug Ford and Ministers, We are writing to you today as a group of small business owners across Ontario. Each of us are owners of dance & performing arts schools serving children of all ages and adults by providing extracurricular activities in dance disciplines including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and more. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, each of us closed to protect our students, ending in-studio instruction, cancelling year end performances and dance competitions that students have been preparing for since the beginning of our season. The long-term health of our dance communities depends on our coordinated focus to enact the necessary precautions and begin serving our patrons with the prescribed measures in-person as soon as possible. Recognizing the risk of spread of COVID-19 in group environments, we know that granting us permission to re-open can only be done with the assurance that we are taking the right measures to ensure the prevention of spread, the protection of our staff and students, and by extension their families. In order to ensure this is possible, our group has worked together to adapt Ontario’s “Workplace Guidance for Business Owners” to the dance and performing arts industry. As there is no dance and performing arts industry association in Ontario, we came together to submit for approval the attached Performing Arts & Dance Studio COVID-19 Protocols, and are seeking approval to re-open under this framework as part of Ontario’s relaunch strategy Stage 1 for summer camps, and as part of Stage 2 for fall programs. Over the years, we have all witnessed the incredible benefits our dancers receive from the physical activity, team environment and family atmosphere of our dance schools and we look forward to welcoming our students back as soon as it is safe. We have poured our hearts and souls into our businesses and we are prepared to do what is necessary to open our locations under heightened measures to ensure our viability now and in the future. We would be pleased to virtually meet with you or a member of your staff to discuss any amendments needed to our protocols, how we can reopen safely, and protect our businesses from never opening again due to financial hardship. Thank you for your consideration, Rebecca Brettingham-Filice Meghan Seaman Dance Extreme Inc On Stage Dance Studio London, ON Stratford, ON Linette Doherty Lainy Zimmer The SPACE Footprints Dance Centre Toronto, ON Woodstock, ON Martha Hicks Carolyn Bristowe The Martha Hicks School of Ballet Inc. Innovative Dance Toronto, ON Baden, ON Devon Stone Christine Parker-Reid Collingwood School of Dance Contemporary School of Dance Ltd. Collingwood, ON Waterloo, ON Angela Prosser Jane Elliott Hoofers Performing Arts Ltd Ballet Etc... Studio for the Arts Oshawa, ON St. Catherines, ON, Fonthill, ON Jeanine Henderson-Kitching Tracy Lowe Infinity Dance Inc. Just Dance - Northumberland Stratford, ON Port Hope, ON Koryn MacArthur Dana Hanes Pique Dance Studio Dana Hanes Dance Company Manotick, ON Nepean, ON Sarah Lockett Deborah Lundmark Ontario School of Ballet and Related Arts School of Canadian Contemporary Dance Toronto, ON Theatre Toronto, ON Sandra Long/Kelly Gifford/Penny Hodgson Jessica Bartlett PKS Dance Elite Ltd Ajax Dance Company Courtice, ON Ajax, ON Cheryl Wallace Jim Nagy Annex Dance Academy Inc. Pure Energy Perfoemance Inc. Toronto, ON Hamilton, ON Christine Campbell Jacqueline Marie WIllis Ballare Studio Dance Jacqueline ‘s School of Dance Ancaster, ON Pickering, ON Monica Lyon Penny Stauth Arnprior School of Dance Steppin’ Up Dance Co Arnprior, ON Sarnia, ON Kari Bodrug Katrina Heckhaus Cheryle Bodrug's Burlington Dance Company KMH Dance Productions Inc. Barrie, ON Burlington, ON Frank Giorgio Tracey Coward Canadian Dance Unit Tracey Coward Bolton, ON London, ON Kimberley Langdon Danielle Grahn Chelsea’s Dance Pac Waterdown Dancers Inc. Innisfil, ON Waterdown, ON Turner Norman Jennifer Campbell Illustrated Movement Dance Academy The DanceRoom Palmerston, ON Stayner, ON Tia Blake Krista Cardwell Broadway Lights Ignite Dance Project St. Catherines, ON Burlington, ON Aimee Vapsva Madison MacDonald Artistic Dance Scene Like10 Dance Company Oakville, ON Kempville, ON Carla Tucker Aly Apter Moving Art A2Y Dance Inc. Barrie, ON Aurora, ON Penny Stauth Jessica Julien Steppin’ Up Dance Co Bodies in Motion Dance Company Sarnia, ON Barrie, ON A.J LoPresti Caroleen Harding Pure Dance Crew Creative Edge Dance Academy Scarborough, ON Carp, ON Aly Apter Marnie Palmer A2Y Dance Inc. Dance Elite Aurora, ON Milton, ON Tracy Lampman Sandra L D’Arsie Dancesations Academy Let’s Dance Ltd St. Catherines, ON Kitchener, ON June Lawrence Tania Ferreira June Lawrence School of Dance Elite Dance Corps Mississauga, ON Bradford, ON Lorri McKay Suzie Brown Lorri's Dance Place Unlimited Ltd Denise Lester Dance Academy Vaughan, ON Pickering, ON Nicole Blake Christie Mckay-Hofland Nicole Jacklin School of Dance Dancemakerz Alliston, ON Dundas, ON Jacqueline’ Cook Barber Brenda Branco JCB Danceworks All 4 One Dance Company King City, ON London, ON Jenny Cairney Jesslyn Truax iDance Studio Take 5 Dance Newmarket, ON Oshawa, ON Nancy English Christine Campbell Academy of Arts and Education Ballare Studio Dance Brantford ON Ancaster, ON Nadine Reguidel Denise Mele Live To Dance Academy Danceology Oakville, ON Toronto ON Shirley Firman Alexandria Depuydt Northern Lights Dance Studio Alexandria's Dance Studio Aurora, ON Chatham, ON Sally Dawson Nicola Saclamacis Carol Kitchen Dance Centre The Dance Pac Brantford, ON Mississauga, ON Kelly Hajar Kailena Van de Nes North London Dance Centre KV Dance Studio London ON Ottawa, ON Penny Stauth Jenny Cairney Steppin’ Up Dance Co iDance Studio Sarnia, ON Newmarket, ON Courtney Stolarski Georgie Donais Cutting Edge Dance Academy Inc. mutable ARTS Mississauga, ON Meaford, ON Chris Madsen Ashley Summers Ovation Performing Arts The Dance Class Richmond Hill, ON Milton ON Shannon Bond Kelly Summers TDS Dance Space The Dance Class Mississauga, ON Milton ON Nicole McKenzie Allyx Smith Harmony Dance Company Apex Dance Industry Ottawa, ON Sarnia ON Tina Nicolaidis Jasmin Yeung City Dance Corps VYbE Dance Company Toronto, ON Markham, ON Tina Rath Rajka Kupesic Pure Rhythm Dance Company Rajka Kupesic School of Classical Ballet Ancaster, ON Mississauga, ON Tania Infante Shawna Chambers Burlington Dance Academy Dynamic Dance Force Burlington, ON Cambridge ON Richard Kim Laura Pascolo McRury Studio Dance Arts International Dance Academy Sault Ste. Marie, ON Thunder Bay, ON Chrystal Galic Cathy Ross Dorion Encore Dance Studio Dancers' Studio Elmira ON Midland ON Kent McCord Brittany Carter & Trisha Carlton All That Jazz Dance Company TJ's Dance Troop Chatham, ON Bowmanville, ON Kent McCord Jacqueline Sims Dance Attack Inc KV Dance Studio Chatham, ON Ottawa, ON Stephanie Kokalovski Victoria Boomer The Dance Edge Bloom Dance Company Oshawa, ON Guelph, ON Valerie Scannura Penny Stauth Ritmo Flamenco Steppin’ Up Dance Co Toronto, ON Sarnia, ON Lauren Bonner Debbie Upwood Total Dance Alliance Studio X Dance Blenheim, ON MIssissauga, ON Angela Farkas Lee-Ann Longlade-Poff Danscene Marie Ann Longlade School of Dance Tillsonburg ON Mississauga, ON Kelsi Wighton Ellie Koffman The Dance Alliance Koffman Academy of Music & Dance Ltd. London, ON Toronto, ON Jennifer Gravina Marie Julien Jennifer's Arts In Motion 1 Wonderland Dance Company Whitby ON Thornhill, ON Suzy Stiperski Michelle Nicholson Academy of Performing Arts on Broadway Emotion Dance Company Orangeville, ON Guelph, ON Cecile Thomas Sonia Durante Citrus Dance Inc Impact Dance Company Inc. Orangeville. ON Stouffville, ON Susan Tomeril Tracey King Ann’s Studio of Dance Tapps Performing Arts Mississauga, ON Orillia, ON Sharon Leeming Mann Elizabeth O'Keefe Leeming DanceWorks Cristina Pora Classical Dance Academy Orleans, ON Mississauga, ON Melanie Hedden-Perron, Georene Perron- Julie Mytka CeaRising Star Performing Arts Sound in Motion Waterdown, ON London, ON Lori Hall Sean Boutilier Can Dance Academy Sean Boutilier Academy Of Dance Mississauga, ON Etobicoke, ON Lauren Sutherland Sean Boutilier The Dance Factory Sean Boutilier Academy Of Dance Wingham, ON MIssissauga, ON Stephanie Goulet Chantal Chretien Element Dance Arts Chantal's Dance Academy Cambridge, ON Newmarket, ON Tracey King Denise Quinn Tapps Performing Arts Somerville Dance Academy Orillia, ON Richmond Hill, ON Pam Cavaliere Maria Elent Jo Read Dance Shall We Dance Studio London, ON Toronto, ON Abigail Clarke Virginia Williams Clarke Dance Productions Studio III Dance Inc Whitby ON Orangeville, ON Susan Kasaic Mariah Awaiye The Edge Performing Arts Inc. Kreative Dance Company Oakville, ON Barrie, ON Becky Collins Sandra Amodeo Dance