At Fratelli’s in Kanata, the patio is full and the kitchen staff are cooking scrumptious Italian dishes, but owner Richard Valente says they’re barely hanging on.
“The last few months have been awful in terms of staffing you just can’t find people,” he said.
Before the pandemic, Valente says Fratelli’s had no issues hiring staff—either in the dining room or in the kitchen, but things are different now.
“Barely any roll in looking for jobs. Kids are looking for summer jobs, which is fine, but when August 15 rolls around and they go to university it’s going to be quite the dilemma and we’re discussing the possibility of closing an extra day,” he said.
It’s not just the restaurant industry. Staff shortages are also causing delays and lineups in every sector in the hospitality business.
A recent report from Statistics Canada shows the job vacancy rate was highest in food services and accommodation, at 11.9 per cent.
“I know hotels don’t have rooms in operation simply because they can’t service them,” said Steve Ball with the Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association.
Ball says managers have had to fill in for maids at times. The answer may be hiring foreign workers—but red tape and timing is a problem.
“There are workers who want to work in Canada but they can’t get here fast enough,” he said. “If you can’t get a work visa until September, it misses the season.”
University of Concordia economics professor Moshe Lander points to several factors causing these shortages and disruptions.
“Baby Boomers retiring, Gen Z-ers that don’t have work experience, COVID that has changed the way tourism food beverage work is leaving people scrambling to find what the new normal is,” said Lander.
With tourism season in Canada kicked into high gear, Valente is worried about his staff burning out.
“I don’t know I don’t think it’s going to better; it’s going to get worse and it’s very worrisome as a business owner,” he said.
The world's attention on Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday turned anew to the Russia-annexed occupied Crimean Peninsula, where a mysterious ammunition storage fire and explosions injuring two people was the second incident in a week to shake Moscow's sensitivities.
The fatal film-set shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin last year was an accident, according to a determination made by New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator following the completion of an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports. The medical investigator's report was made public Monday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office along with numerous reports from the FBI on the revolver and ammunition that were collected following the shooting.
While many Canadians don’t support moving away from the metric system of measurement, many continue to use imperial measurements in their daily lives, according to a recent online poll.
For the second time in less than a month, a resident of Ashcroft, B.C., died while waiting for health care after having a heart attack mere metres from a local ambulance station.
With inflation on the rise and central banks poised to increase rates, CTVNews.ca speaks with experts on whether Canada will experience a recession, and if so, what it would look like.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development of Canada Karina Gould is discouraging people from making fake travel plans just to skip the line of those waiting for passports.
A diving accident at 14-years-old left Brian Parker paralyzed from the chest down. Now at age 49, he's without the person who was caring for him full-time until just last week, after his 68-year-old mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Actress Bryce Dallas Howard said she was paid 'so much less' than her co-star Chris Pratt for their work in the 'Jurassic World' films.
Opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline currently under construction in Northern B.C took to the streets of Vancouver Monday, briefly blocking north-bound traffic on the Cambie Street Bridge.
Nova Scotia is reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the month of July, while the number of deaths decreased compared to previous months.
Rocca said an examination of dental records was being conducted Monday afternoon in hopes of identification.
Five years after it was introduced in Canada, it seems more Canadians are seeking a doctor's assistance in ending their own lives.
Toronto Pearson International Airport has shown signs of improvements in recent weeks, but a traveller and aviation expert says he was disheartened to see 'mountains' of bags and triple stacked security lines at the airport over the weekend.
As the Canadian National Exhibition prepares to return to Toronto this week, organizers say they worry ongoing labour action could deter people from attending the fair and hamper its revival following a two-year hiatus laden with financial setbacks.
When Airbnb first launched 14 years ago, it changed the way many people book their vacations as they travel locally and around the world.
Quebec health authorities are launching another COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign on Monday, targeting people living in CHSLDs and private seniors' residences (RPAs). The recommended interval between baseline vaccination and a first booster dose is three months or more, while the suggested interval between each subsequent booster dose is five months or more.
Several experts note that the number of whales observed this summer on both sides of the St. Lawrence River is low, even though the observation season is not over.
With one week to go before the start of the new school year, the CSQ is concerned that some CEGEPs will be unable to offer certain services and even some courses due to a lack of staff.
Lisa LaFlamme is leaving CTV News. The network announced today that the Chief Anchor and Senior Editor is departing after more than 30 years with the company.
Recycling not only benefits the earth, but record prices of certain recyclable products are generating some extra cash for the City of North Bay.
A 72-year-old downtown Sudbury businessman has entered the pool of candidates running for mayor in the City of Greater Sudbury, bringing the number of contenders to nine.
Tuesday will kick off with sunshine across the region but Environment Canada is calling for the possibility of showers or even a potential thunderstorm in the afternoon.
Multiple emergency crews responded after a vehicle crashed into a One Plant cannabis store in south London Monday evening.
Dozens of animals have been killed in a barn fire in the Township of Mapleton, with officials saying 50 cows and four horses are dead.
The tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings issued in parts of southern Manitoba Monday evening have ended, though severe thunderstorm watches remain.
Southern Manitoba municipalities are gearing up for fall elections, but in areas where the current mayor or reeve is not running, some communities could be short on candidates.
Three people have been arrested after police officers executed a search warrant, which resulted in an armed and barricaded situation that lasted almost 10 hours.
As staffing shortages affect several sectors across the province, local non-for-profits say they’re facing a shortage of volunteers.
Some parents are calling for the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) to disclose more details about a data hack that saw what the board describes as “certain” student information accessed.
The death of a 63-year-old woman last Friday at a Strathmore care home was a homicide, said Strathmore RCMP in a release issued Monday.
A building along Seventh Avenue S.W. will soon be decorated with a large mural.
An Alberta man drowned over the weekend at a popular lake in British Columbia, Mounties confirmed Monday.
Bear spray incidents at the Saskatoon Ex have prompted Prairieland Park to look at beefing up security measures at the gates.
A judge is reserving decision in an animal abuse case that saw a dog die after being thrown into a metal clothing rack.
The search for a 74-year-old woman lost in the forest northeast of Smeaton has come to a tragic end.
City council approved a $15.2 million investment to fund a joint dispatch centre in Chinatown, with some hoping the province would help pick up the tab.
Edmonton City Council decided to halt the Prairie Sky Gondola project for the time being.
The 29-year-old was charged with two counts of impaired operation causing death, impaired driving and possession of an illegal substance.
Due to mounting pressures on staff, the emergency department at Vancouver's UBC Hospital will be scaling back its hours starting Tuesday.
An 87-year-old Metro Vancouver woman was so convinced that the man on the other end of the phone was an attorney, she gave him $10,000.
For the second time in recent weeks, a resident in the village of Ashcroft has died while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The tragedy is leading to calls for more immediate action to ensure timely emergency response in the community and across the province.
A Regina-born actor will be making her superhero debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) this week, playing the lead role in "She Hulk: Attorney at Law"
A recent regulatory amendment now allows First Nations to operate on-reserve cannabis stores without a permit from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA). However, some First Nations do not think it will change the way current shops already operate.
A Regina woman has died following a two vehicle collision near the town of Qu’Appelle on Highway 1.
