ByWard Market comes to life on opening weekend of Step 1 of COVID reopening
The ByWard Market was buzzing with crowds it hasn't seen in months during the first Saturday in Step 1 of Ontario's COVID-19 reopening plan.
Patrons filled patios throughout the day, and local shops saw more foot traffic as many shared a feeling of progress.
"I’ve been waiting for this day for a really long time. It’s great to be outside and see other people, interact with other people," said Gilles Taillefer, who was spending the day downtown.
"I think we’re at a point where we’re starting to feel optimistic and hopeful, which is a big change from where we were a while ago," said Julie Compton who lives nearby.
Saturday’s rush came on the heels of the first full night since reopening, that saw a once silent ByWard Market come alive overnight.
"It was busy, it was fun and all throughout the day you could almost feel this special kind of electricity in the air, it was almost surreal," said David Mangano, owner of The Grand Pizzeria.
"I think for small business it was getting to a breaking point. I think that we had to get open or it could have been disastrous."
Parking lots in the downtown were packed Saturday too, spots were hard to come, a sure sign of those eager for a taste of freedom.
While buzzing streets brought joy to many businesses, for others still stuck on the sidelines, like hair salons, it brought frustration.
"It’s definitely a bit difficult to see. I’m happy that things are starting to open up, I’m happy for everybody but the frustration is there," said Walid Zurub, owner of Salon Salwa.
But as restrictions loosen and crowds grow, there is a renewed plea from medical experts to move ahead with caution.
"We can’t throw out the mask and forget about social distancing and being cautious, not yet," said Dr. Ronald St. John, the former federal manager to the SARS response in Canada.
Here's is a look at what's allowed to open in Ottawa in Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen plan:
- Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households
- Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold
- Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres
- Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people
- Movie theatre drive-ins are permitted to open
- Day camps for children permitted to operate
- Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites are allowed to open, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals
- Outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators
- Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks and historic sites may open with capacity and other restrictions
Retail stores in malls must remain closed unless the stores have a street-facing entrance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.