Food loss in the tens of thousands for Ottawa small businesses
Some Ottawa households are out of pocket by hundreds of dollars as food from fridges and freezers gets thrown out. However, the cost for a small business is even higher.
When the power goes out in a butcher shop, it can be devastating.
"This all came down in the middle of a busy Saturday for us and we’ve been trying to get ahead of it ever since," says David Wallace, Co-owner of Around the Block Butcher Shop. "We have a mountain of inventory that needs to be sorted and assessed and quality checked. We’ve already lost a substantial amount."
Wallace tried to save as much as he could the day the storm hit, but there was just too much meat and not enough freezer space.
"Our product losses are somewhere in the neighbourhood of $20,000," says Wallace. "With business interruption on top of that as well."
Staff at the butcher shop are working as fast as they can to get up and running again.
“Our hopes are to open up on Friday,” says co-owner Chantel Balla. "There’s definitely a lot to sort out. We’re doing our best."
The city of Ottawa has set up green bin collection zones for organic waste following the storm.
Households are also taking a huge loss. Organic food waste bins have been placed all throughout the city. At the Merivale Road location, it has been non-stop with people throwing out hundreds and even thousands of dollars worth of food.
“$2,000," says one Ottawa resident dropping off food waste.
“Four to 500," says another resident.
The city of Ottawa has set up organic food waste bins at several locations in Ottawa, including on Merivale Road . (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa
Some are on day six without power and the bins are filling up fast. Depending on your home insurance policy, some of the food loss could be covered.
“At the Co-operators, if you have a homeowner or tenants policy you have coverage for food lost or if your fridge or freezers are damaged," says Josee Brisson, Co-operators Financial Insurance Advisor.
The Co-operators say that generators and the gas that powers them could be also be covered.
“Provided someone insured with us has personal property coverage, then they could claim a generator and the gas to keep it running, provided it is used to keep their refrigerator and freezer running to preserve their food,” says the Co-operators home insurance team.
Back at the butcher shop, the power is back on, the work now is to refill inventory and welcome back customers again.
"It’s been a butcher shop for a long time. 50 years," says Wallace. "It’s been Around the Block for nine. I don’t think this is going to be the thing that does it in. I’m optimistic that we’ll pull though this for sure. But I mean, it’s a precarious situation."
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.