OTTAWA -- The patio is open at a popular restaurant in Renfrew, but there will be no live music or a tent to sit under this weekend.
Restaurants and bars in Ottawa and eastern Ontario are allowed to open patios on Friday as part of the Stage 2 of the COVID-19 recovery plan.
At The Rocky Mountain House on Stewart Street in Renfrew, there is frustration with the Renfrew County and District Health Unit regulations prohibiting open-air tents on the patio and musical performances.
“The frustration on it is that as of 6 o’clock (Thursday) night, we had met all of the restrictions and guidelines,” said owner Kim Limlaw in an interview with CTVNewsOttawa.ca.
“The tent is open-sided, it’s 30 feet wide by 80 feet long, there’s no restriction of air-flow. And then to have the county health unit say that the tent must be put down one-hour before we’re ready to open because it’s a restriction of airflow.”
The Rocky Mountain House installed the open-air tent with no sides on the patio ahead of the planned reopening of patios during the COVID-19 pandemic. Alan Wright and Denny Welburn were booked to perform on the patio Friday night.
Limlaw says the town of Renfrew approved the installation of the tent on the patio, but the Renfrew County and District Health Unit told her Friday morning that tents are prohibited.
“Their explanation was that tents with open sides were a restriction of airflow,” said Limlaw.
On Monday, the Ontario Government announced patios at restaurant and bars in Ottawa and eastern Ontario can reopen as part of Stage 2 of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Renfrew County and District Health Unit posted the COVID-19 guidance for reopening bar and restaurant patios on Thursday.
Under general requirements to operate a patio, the health unit says, “Patios must be open to the air; no tents/structures/canopies.”
“Live music is prohibited. If you provide recorded music, turn down the volume. Loud music causes diners to lean towards each other and raise their voices or shout, thus increasing the risk of transmitting the virus.”
Limlaw says crews were on site Friday morning to remove the open-air tent from the patio, delaying the opening of the patio by two hours.
“The tent is really not a tent, it’s just a roof. There’s no sides on it, there’s not anything to restrict any type of airflow,” aid Limlaw.
“If it had sides on it, if it was enclosed, I could understand them being concerned but when it is just wide open and just a roof to keep the sun off of people.”
The Rocky Mountain House can sit over 100 people on its patio during the pandemic.
Limlaw says MPP John Yakabuski’s office has told her while the Ontario Government is allowing patios to reopen; it is up to individual health units to set the rules for patios.
The Rocky Mountain House also cancelled its musical performances this weekend. Limlaw says the performances would have been a solo singer with a guitar and microphone.
“It was a solo singer singing from 7 to 11, with no amplifiers and they say you can’t have live music. None of this is making any sense,” said Limlaw.
“The town don’t have a problem with it, so why is the health having a problem with a guy sitting on a stool, playing music to just help bring customers to help these small businesses out. It’s ridiculous!”
