For many families, it may seem the timing couldn’t be worse.

Kids are off from school for March break and yet, many of the organized events and group activities that were planned this week in Timmins are being cancelled in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).

The following notifications were announced Friday:

• The Timmins Public Library has suspended all programming at both branches until further notice. At this time, both locations will remain open during our regular hours;

• The museum is suspending all programmes, workshops and special events until further notice. All March Break activities at the museum (including Digital creator programmes and TSO music camp) are cancelled;

• The Science Timmins March Break Camp is cancelled. Science Village will be closed until further notice;

• The Town of Iroquois Falls has decided to postpone its Winter Carnival which was scheduled to take place this weekend. Access Transit has also cancelled its community spaghetti supper;

• In Cochrane, the Polar Bear Habitat, the Tim Hortons Event Centre and the public library will be closed to the public until April 5.

In addition to the announced cancellation of various recreational events and closing of leisure facilities, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has asked all Ontario retirement residences to commence active screen protocol for all guests into retirement residences to avoid the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable older adult populations. Those measures are now being implemented at all homes-for-the-aged in Timmins.

The Golden Manor has taken these restrictions a step further, announcing on Friday it has cancelled all visitation until further notice.

However, this measure is due to a respiratory outbreak and is not related to the COVID-19 virus.

“There are no cases of COVID-19 at the Golden Manor,” the facility stated in a release.

With so many group events cancelled, what does that leave for a Timmins family looking ahead to March break?

Well, potentially a lot, especially if, like many Northern families, they enjoy individual or small-group outdoor winter activities like skiing, tobogganing, snowmobiling and fishing.