Downtown businesses making most of reopening weekend following 'Freedom Convoy'
Downtown businesses making most of reopening weekend following 'Freedom Convoy'
For 26 months, Little Victories Coffee Roasters has been stationed on the corner of Elgin Street and Sparks Street.
They’ve been open for four of them.
"It just felt like another blow to what’s already been like a pretty tumultuous two years for us in this location," Co-Owner Andrew Bassett describes the past three weeks of extended closures, their doors sealed shut after an incident involving staff and a member of the "Freedom Convoy" on the Friday it first arrived, now one month ago.
"To be, really ground zero for all this, that was interesting," he added.
Finally, Saturday, Bassett watched through the large windows of his coffee shop as the fences that sealed off Elgin Street and much of the downtown core were removed, and with them, one of the barriers to accessing his business.
"We’re still unsure if people are going to return to this area, we’re still unsure if people are going to be comfortable coming downtown. We just kind of take it day by day just playing it slowly and steady," Bassett said.
In the ByWard Market, where barriers have been cleared since last weekend, there’s hope that one of the city’s most iconic districts might finally be returning to normal.
"For the first time, it was a week since the 'Freedom Convoy' left, it’s been a nice feeling. Friday was really good, Saturday was good," Ihab Mouma, lead bartender at Nan’s Parlour said.
"We got a lot of people, we talked to a lot of people, asked them how they felt, they asked us how we’ve been through, it was really nice to reconnect with the other residents of Ottawa."
The cocktail bar, that opened in December 2021, stayed open for nearly the entirety of the "Freedom Convoy" but customers were hard to come by.
"Even during those three weeks, it was really difficult to operate. We didn’t really have any customers; Ottawa residents didn’t have any feeling of security in the downtown areas," Mouma said.
"Ottawa was at its slowest," he added.
Now, a week after the convoy departed, business owners say they are seeing a slow return to normal.
"We’re talking to our customers, it’s such a wonderful feeling. They’re so happy to be back, for us to be back, it’s just been great," Paola Paul, owner of Mantovani 1946, said.
According to local business experts, a return to normal in the downtown is crucial for the city’s economy.
"The downtown is critically important to our culture, to our tourism industry, to our business and our economy, so we want to rebuild business, consumer and employee confidence as quickly and as strongly as possible," Sueling Ching, President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade said.
The City of Ottawa passed multiple supports and initiatives to bring people to the downtown core at council last week, and the Federal government has also pledged support for downtown businesses.
Owners say it helps, but it is the return of their customers and regulars that will drive the restoration of the downtown core.
"It’s pretty much just a fraction of what it takes to be operational, but we’re confident. We’re confident that we’re going into our busy season now. The weather’s going to get nice, downtown is going to get back to normal and we’re really looking forward to it," Paul said.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
Silicon Valley Bank's collapse earlier this month dealt a major blow to the wine and crypto firms that entrusted their money with and depended on the lender to stay afloat.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
Feeding white-tailed deer is now prohibited in Quebec. According to Environment Minister Benoit Charette, a new regulation comes into effect as of Thursday, and fines will be announced later.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A 34-year-old man who used to live in Sudbury is sharing his side of the story after a criminal harassment charge involving former Mayor Brian Bigger in 2021 was dropper earlier this year.
Fire crews remain on scene of a blaze in east London. The call came in around 1:30 a.m. for a structure fire at 720 Cabell St. near Roberts Avenue and crews immediately started a defensive fight from outside the building.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Winnipeg judge is set to make a court ruling on Thursday in the trial of a retired priest accused of assaulting a woman while she was a student at a residential school more than 50 years ago
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
A United Conservative Party candidate in Lethbridge claims teachers are exposing students to pornography and gender reassignment without parental knowledge.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
Cloudy skies in the Edmonton area this morning. But, after a bit of light snow overnight, it looks like the city and surrounding areas are pretty much done with the precipitation for today.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
Vancouver city council has asked staff to shape a policy that would require grant recipients to engage with officials in a "respectful manner," a move that one political scientist says suggests an attempt to prevent or punish criticism.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
