Businesses feeling the pinch on first day of new restrictions
As businesses in Ottawa face their first day of new COVID-19 restrictions Sunday, many owners say the light at the end of the tunnel just got that much further away.
Retailers and hospitality businesses are among the hardest impacted, as the Ontario government caps capacity at 50 per cent. Gordon Gifford, co-owner of the Savoy Brasserie in Westboro, says Omicron was already affecting business, but the new rules will hit hard.
“It’s cut our Christmas business down significantly. This is a huge time of year for us, so going to 50 per cent capacity when we were at max for most of December, we are literally cut in half,” Gifford said. “Traditionally, the third week of December is where we make the big money and this week it’s not going to happen.”
Mandy Gosewich, owner of Stunning in the ByWard Market, sees the new rules as a painful necessity; her shop is less than 400 square feet, so space was always limited. She sees this as a way to offer an even more intimate shopping experience.
“If we do what is asked of us, maybe this will help us not have another lockdown, which you really you hope, right?” Gosewich said. “I’m lucky I’m still here, that after almost nine years of being in business I’ve gotten through what I hope is the worst of it, but it’s still frightening it still keeps me up at night.”
Business leaders are calling on all levels of government for support, hoping federal and provincial programs return to help weather this newest COVID storm. Small business advocate Michael Wood says with consumer confidence slumping and business debt levels still on the rise, governments need to step in and offer help.
“It’s going to be another lean Christmas for a lot of retailers in our city. There are a lot of small businesses—restaurants and hospitality, especially, are severely struggling,” Wood said. “If we are going to be doing this, small businesses need more financial support.”
Even with government support, Wood says the best way to help local businesses continues to be spending your hard-earned dollars locally.
“All we can ask of people in the city of Ottawa is to please continue to support us. Our livelihoods depend on you. We thank you for spending your time and money with us.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.