'Not a level playing field': Ottawa restaurant owners frustrated with restrictions as arenas welcome 100 per cent capacity
Restaurant owners in Ottawa continue to voice their opposition at the Ontario government’s move to allow stadiums to operate at full capacity while their businesses continue to suffer with seating restrictions.
The lunchtime rush at Reynold’s Restaurant is underway, indoor seating is full, or as full as it can get, considering every second table must remain empty, in order to comply with Ontario’s COVID-19 regulations. Owners say those restrictions make it difficult to pay the bills.
"We’re just trying to make a living like everybody else and it’s by far right now the toughest industry to be in and they’re not making it very easy on us," says owner Gregory Aboukheir. "We have the harshest restrictions on restaurants and I just find that it’s not a level playing field."
Aboukheir’s point, on Thursday, the Canadian Tire Centre was packed with fans, cheering on the Ottawa Senators as they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in the home opener. Last week the province opened arenas for maximum capacity, saying the decision was backed by medical advice. Aboukheir doesn’t buy it.
“What are they trying to say COVID doesn’t enter the arena but only enters restaurants.”
At a press conference on Friday, Premier Doug Ford said that next week changes will come for restaurants as well as other businesses with reduced capacity limits, like gyms, but would not elaborate on whether restrictions will be loosened.
"We’re going to roll out a comprehensive plan, one that will withstand the test of time," said Ford. "I’m not going to rush it because anything you do in this pandemic it can come back and backfire on you."
Sarah Chown, Ottawa chair for the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association says it was disappointing that the premier did not announce that indoor seating caps would be lifted.
"People aren’t sitting on top of each other in restaurants, you know in sports arenas they’re literally elbow to elbow," says Chow. "The weather is starting to shift peoples patios are going to be closing we really need to get that capacity up to 100 percent indoors."
For Aboukheir, he’s done holing out hope that change will happen soon.
"They always give you that false hope they put the reel out and then as you get closer they reel it back in I’m not going to say anything until it actually happens and it’s a little more consistent," he says. "Let us live our lives, let us operate our business, with all do respect you know get off our back and leave us alone."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca