Covid Procedures | Tree Valley

Tree Valley Garden Centre Ltd. Mandatory Face Covering Policy

This Policy has been developed further to the instructions of the Regionâ€™s Medical Officer of Health issued on July 10, 2020 which requires businesses and organizations to develop a policy requiring anyone entering their premises to be wearing a Face Covering.

The Policy applies in any enclosed spaces which are open to the public and where customers interact with one another or staff members. It does not apply to outdoor areas or an area that is not enclosed. Thus, during the summer months Tree Valley Garden Centre is exempt from this ruling. Once the main greenhouses are enclosed for the cooler months masks will be mandatory. Thus, this policy will be updated with the changing weather.

We do though still ask our customers to wear a face covering in the greenhouses if you are able to, and to always maintain distancing with our staff for their safety.

When masks become mandatory on our premises, all staff will use their best efforts to prevent anyone from entering the premises if the person is not wearing a Face Covering. If they see a person entering the premises without a Face Covering, they will advise the person of this requirement. Our staff will continue to ensure that customers use hand sanitizer before entering the premises and will remind them of the need to maintain a distance of 6 feet from any other person.

If a customer refuses to wear a Face Covering, we have been instructed to let them enter the premises. We ask that anyone entering the property remain polite and do not engage in any verbal confrontation.

As per the Regionâ€™s Medical Officer of Health, the following individuals are exempt from the requirement of wearing a Face Covering:

Children under 5 years of age
Anyone who cannot wear a Face Covering because of a medical condition
Anyone who cannot place or remove a Face Covering without assistance
Anyone who refuses to wear a Face Covering based on any ground in the Human Rights Code.

If anyone states that they cannot wear a Face Covering because of any of the above reasons, employees have been instructed to accept any of the above explanations and do not require the customer to explain further or require proof.

Once the main greenhouse structure becomes enclosed, if employees see anyone in the premises who has removed their Face Covering for an extended period, they will remind the individual that the Face Covering should be worn.
Note that Face Coverings may be removed temporarily for the following purposes:

Outside the main greenhouse structure
Consuming food or drink;
While actively engaging in physical labour, athletic or fitness activity
For any emergency or medical purpose

Should you require additional information, please contact York Region Public Health at 1-800-361-5653). Visit york.ca/covid19 for additional information and resources.

*Please note for the purpose of this Policy, a â€œFace Coveringâ€ means a non-medical mask or face covering such as a bandana, scarf or cloth (including a hijab and niqab) that covers the mouth and nose.

Tree Valley Garden Centre Ltd. Stage One Opening Letter

May 8th, 2021

To our valued employees, customers and business partners,

As we come into busy season serving York Region and the surrounding area, our retail walk-in hours are 10am-5pm 7 days a week effective Monday May 10th. Wholesale specific hours are 7am-9am and again for pickup 5-6pm. On Sundays wholesale customers can have access to the greenhouse from 9-10am. Wholesale customers can shop throughout the day however; they will be in line to enter the facilities with retail customers from 10-5pm.

To stop the spread of illness, ONLY healthy employees and visitors are allowed to visit our location. If you have been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19, or if you have: a fever, cough, fatigue, conjunctivitis, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath, please remain at home.

At this time visitors will only be allowed to be in our greenhouses and outdoor areas 6ft (2m) from other individuals. We ask that only one member of a household enter the property but understand that sometimes two individuals are required, such as individuals requiring assistance, a translator, single parent households. By restricting the number of individuals able to enter the property from the same household, we are able to have more homes able to get their gardening items in a timely fashion. Some areas inside the greenhouse it is difficult to maintain social distance so we ask that you leave pets and children at home during this time. Once our busy season is over, and no longer having long lineups due to capacity restrictions, we will be happy to welcome our littlest future gardeners back on the property.

We ask that all visitors have their own personal protective equipment to enter our premises. We ask that visitors wear masks or facial coverings upon entering the property. Upon entering the property, you will need to wash your hands with sanitizer as we are an AGRICULTURE establishment. Please adhere to visual cues and signage to maintain your distance at all times, and listen to the directions from our staff who are limiting the number of individuals in areas. Remember to always be kind!

We must also limit the number of visitors entering the premises at a time. There may be long wait times, but providing a safe environment for purchasing plant material is our first priority. We ask that while waiting to enter, visitors maintain physical distancing. We are currently only taking curbside pickup orders that involve bagged products, seeds, and merchandise. There is too high of a plant product turn-around, and thus if you do not feel comfortable purchasing plant product in-store, we ask that vulnerable members of the community to please ask family, friends, or a neighbour to pick out your gardening supplies this year. Our staff can no longer keep up with serving walk in customers while pulling online orders simultaneously. Hopefully, we can continue curbside pick up later in the season.

Our staff have been provided with credible health education resources from York Region Public Health regarding COVID-19. In doing so, we have raised increase awareness regarding personal hygiene and social distancing. Our staff have been engaging in physical distancing and proper hygiene practices in order to care for your future plants. Our cleaning and sanitization practices have been enhanced and increased, which includes cleaning our carts, and debit machines after each use. Please note our indoor washrooms are restricted for STAFF USE ONLY. If have an emergency and need to use a restroom, visitors are welcome to use the portable washrooms that are located in our large caliber tree section.

During this time to protect the health and well-being of our team, if there is a warranty concern from last years product, please provide photos of the plant in question STILL PLANTED and a copy of the receipt to sales@treevalley.ca. If you would like advice in identifying a plant disease, pest, or need advice in regards to plant choices please email all photos to sales@treevalley.ca, and we will respond to your inquiry within 72hrs.

We will continue to monitor, evaluate, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as things develop. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to keep up to date with the latest policy changes. Please feel free to reach out to us at sales@treevalley.ca so that our phone lines are open for emergencies. For the latest announcements please consider following us on one of our social media platforms.

We are confident we can provide you with your gardening needs while maintaining physical distancing.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Angelo & Carmine Pignatelli and the staff at

Tree Valley Garden Centre Ltd.