'Our business has been devastated': Capital City Luggage in Ottawa closes Saturday
While many businesses celebrated being able to reopen with more eased restrictions Friday, Capital City Luggage in Wellington West is preparing to close.
"We've been here 36 years," said Linda Greenberg who owns the store with her husband Murray. "Wellington West has been a wonderful area to be in, wonderful customers, very loyal customers."
Greenberg says the COVID-19 pandemic that brought travel to a halt was the biggest factor.
"Our industry's been hit terribly," she said. "We've lost suppliers, the rents regretfully, people just aren't travelling and we don't anticipate them travelling for another year so it's time."
The store along Wellington Street West is one of the largest independent luggage retail and repair shops in the country.
"If you were gonna go travelling this is where you wanted to be," said long-time customer Peggy Follis. "I'm sad, it's an icon in this neighbourhood."
Items like luggage, travel accessories and clothing are all marked down.
"I'm going to have to find somewhere else and I'm not really up to doing that right now so what I've done is stock up on their sales," said another long-time customer Eileen Duffin.
The Greenberg's are not ruling out reopening sometime in the future.
"Our daughter, Amanda, she's trained as a repair technician as well, so hopefully if she opens up in a year or so we'll just go work for her," said Greenberg laughing.
"I wish them well and thank them for their service and their expertise through the years that we've needed them," said Follis.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.