If you're wondering whether or not Dollarama is open in Ontario, rest assured: Your favourite place to pick up party supplies, crafting gear and inexpensive toys is still operating across the province.

You simply can't buy any of the above listed items there right now, or anything else deemed "non-essential" under the Ford government's latest version of lockdown.

As of Thursday, April 8 at 12:01 a.m., big box and discount stores in Ontario are required to block off "non-essential" goods to customers.

This measure represents a key departure from the rules under all previous versions of lockdown or shutdown in the province, and is meant to help even the playing field for smaller retailers (which have been forced to shutter once again under the new stay-at-home order.)

Different retailers appear to be taking different approaches to preventing their customers from purchasing non-essential items, but there's no standard government guide to follow.

A media relations representative for Dollarama sent us the following  "high-level list of product categories not available for sale." It is or will soon be posted in all of the Montreal-based chain's Ontario locations and includes school supplies, jewelry, hair accessories, artificial flowers, greeting cards and books.

Dollarama's official list of non-essential items that are not permitted for sale under the rules of Ontario's current stay-at-home order. Image via Dollarama.

"Since the onset of the pandemic, Dollarama has been a weekly destination for affordable everyday necessities for millions of Canadians," said Lyla Radmanovich to blogTO on behalf of the company.

"We are committed to maintaining this essential role while also adhering to evolving government orders in the face of a persistent virus," continued Radmanovich.

"We moved quickly following the announcement of new emergency measures effective Thursday, and we sincerely thank all our customers for their patience and understanding in what continue to be extremely difficult circumstances for Canadians from all walks of life."

Dollarama, which has over 1,000 stores across Canada and is currently the largest retailer of items $4 or less in the country, has also taken various in-store preventative measures to protect the health of staff and customers.

They include but are not limited to the wearing of masks by employees and customers, social distancing measures, strict and frequent in-store cleaning and disinfecting procedures, hygiene and respiratory practices, and stricter in-store capacity limits.