Downtown Ottawa businesses pivot as federal office towers remain empty
Local business owners in downtown Ottawa, who have relied for years on the traffic from federal government workers, are finding themselves planning for a future without them.
Ninety per cent of Ottawa residents have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, stadiums are packed, restaurants are open to full capacity, but in downtown Ottawa, many offices remain empty because the city’s largest workforce is still working remotely.
The lunch hour used to be the time when Amir Rahid and the staff at Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse prepared for the rush of thousands of federal public servants pouring out of nearby office towers in search of a snack or a meal.
That was then.
“I feel it’s more important to look at what we’re dealing with here and now,” says Rahid. “The past year, we’ve worked pretty hard on our new model which is more evenings, nights, a cool BBQ menu, a vibrant bar scene, stuff like that.”
Lately, Rahim does notice more people in the area. Some of his regular customers have returned, but in a hybrid model.
“They’re booking space to come to work and colleagues are connecting together at the same time and designating a day to come to work and make an event out of it,” he says. “So they’ll come in have coffee, go to work, and maybe some happy hour types of stuff, and I’m seeing a bit more of that happening on a regular basis.”
According to the Treasury board of Canada, the federal government employs more than 120,000 people in the Ottawa region and occupies 40 per cent of the office space in the city.
Mayor calls for a return to workplace plan
While some businesses have been able to pivot, many others are suffering and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says it’s imperative to have employees working in the downtown core.
“We know that the federal public service helps to keep these small businesses going—whether it’s a dry cleaner, a restaurant, or a shoe repair shop—and the sooner we get federal employees back, the better it is for the local economy of downtown and throughout Ottawa,” says Watson. “We’ve already seen some of our staff come back at the local level and now we want to see the same thing happen with the federal government. They’ve been really good partners with us, providing funding, and this is one more ask we have of the federal government and really of any employer.”
City councillors, meanwhile, will continue to meet virtually. Watson says the city clerk has recommended not making any changes until January.
“We want to able to go back to a system where anyone who wants to come to a meeting, including the media, has a right to do so but, right now, we're limited to the number of people.”
There has been no clear timeline given as to when federal employees will return to the office. For Rahid, if they do come back, it’s going to a bonus, but never again his bread and butter.
“Hope is a great thing but you can invest it in all kinds of different places,” says Rahid. “The things in the past are further in the rear view mirror for me. It’s still there, and there’s a bit of a scar but, at the same time, if we focus on what we’re doing now that seems to be delivering fruits, it should pay off in the long run.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.