Arnprior extends patio spaces at restaurants for holiday long weekend
The Town of Arnprior has set up extended patios in on-street parking spaces in their downtown section for any restaurant interested.
The move is being used as another way local businesses can bounce back from the pandemic.
"Even though indoor dining is open right now they still are limited to how many diners they can have in their restaurants, so they’re not being able to operate at full capacity," says Lindsay Wilson, the Town of Arnprior's Marketing and Economic Development Officer.
Wilson says the idea was brought forward by one of the businesses in town recently, which is why the extended patios were only put in place the week of the Civic Holiday long weekend.
"Had the request come forward earlier in the year, it’s something that could have been considered at that time," Wilson explains. "But I don’t think anyone predicted the closure would have lasted as long as it did this spring."
"It would have definitely been great in May that’s for sure, because that’s when we were all closed up," says Chantal Beaulieu, owner of the Sweet & Sassy Cafe, and one of three participating restaurants. "Timing is not the greatest but hey, at this time we still have a good month of summer coming."
The other two participating businesses are Lumbertown Ale House and Urban Angus Steak and Wine. Wilson says she was surprised more restaurants didn’t jump at the opportunity, but points to the lingering effects of the pandemic.
"A lot of them, even with this patio project wanted to participate but couldn’t due to staffing issues," said Wilson.
"At this time and point after the year we’ve had anything helps," adds Beaulieu. "It just adds a little bit of flavour to the town again."
Each on-street patio was given two parking spaces to use, meaning only six total spots are lost to downtown parking. Wilson points to two nearby municipal lots as alternative places to park. And although the move comes with not a lot of summer left in the year, Wilson says there is a possibility the project could be given more time.
"Depending on what restrictions will look like in the fall there’s always the possibility that council could extend the patio season."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.