Reaction to the province's staggered plan to reopen is trickling in from Barrie businesses and it might not be as rosy as Premier Doug Ford thought it would be.
On Thursday, the premier announced a tiered reopening plan, beginning Jan. 31 when restaurants and gyms can reopen.
Since Jan. 5, indoor dining has been prohibited at restaurants, and gyms were also closed. Schools were also closed to in-person learning, but have since reopened as of this past Tuesday.
Ford said the phased approach to a three-step reopening announced today will be 21 days apart, with the significant dates being Jan. 31, Feb. 21 and March 14. Each step has different provisions for businesses and social gatherings.
Emil Kamel, who owns North Swing Golf Lounge, an all-season golf facility serving food and drinks and hosting parties, said the business has had to fully close and reopen five times since the start of the pandemic, which doesn’t include several other partial closures due to capacity restrictions.
“This current shutdown has had us closed since Jan. 5. As a primarily seasonal business, the constant winter lockdowns have been devastating,” Kamel told BarrieToday. “It’s disappointing that it’s a delayed reopening and with capacity limits. Today’s announcement means we can try to salvage what remains from our winter season.”
North Swing employs 14 people when fully open, but in the latest shutdown, they had to lay off all but one staff member.
With today’s announcement, Kamel said all staff will be rehired, but unfortunately may not get full hours until the Cedar Pointe Drive business is allowed to return to full capacity.
“Unfortunately, restaurants, gyms and indoor recreation have become the scapegoats of this pandemic. It has become easy for those who have not had their livelihood interrupted to suggest it’s too soon,” Kamel said. “I can say with certainty that for the many businesses trying to hang on and the countless staff struggling to provide for their families, it couldn’t come soon enough.”
Kamel says North Swing will be opening its tee sheet on Monday, Jan. 24 for reservations a week in advance of the first stage of reopening.
Emmanuel Flores, co-owner of the Mexhico restaurant in downtown Barrie, says he sometimes loses count of how many times they have had to close and reopen.
When asked if he was looking forward to Jan. 31 with the 50 per cent capacity opening, Flores said he didn't know how to feel.
“The reality is that I have zero trust in our government and we cannot rely on anything they say,” Flores told BarrieToday. “The fact they’re saying we can open up on Jan. 31 does not stop them from coming back tomorrow and saying, ‘Oh, we actually regret that decision and you guys will be closed for another week.’
"Until we see it happen, we can’t be happy," he added.
Flores says that also plays into the frustration of whether to hire more staff.
“We have no idea what Jan. 31 and 21 days after that will look like for people eating out,” Flores said. “We could staff enough people for a full 50 per cent capacity and no one shows, or we have a skeleton crew and end up packed. There are a lot of people who are scared of the numbers that the government is pushing out there and they may not want to come out.”
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said today's news was a lot better than how it was handled previously when the province announced Jan. 5 closures.
“Well, it's a good thing they gave 10 days notice," Lehman told BarrieToday. "Restaurants need time to hire back staff and fill fridges and freezers. So the advance notice is far better than the last-minute decision on the shutdown, which made things even harder for the businesses affected.”
Lehman says he's confident we're “clearly past the peak” and believes that 10 days from now, that should be resulting in decreased pressure on the health-care system.
“I'm sure it can't come soon enough for shuttered businesses, especially those who had to close for so long in 2021 due to the handling of the public health requirements,” said the mayor.
Lehman said the municipal government has been assisting where it can. From the beginning of COVID, Lehman said the city has teamed up with the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, Georgian College, and the Sandbox to help local businesses get wage and rent supports as well as other government assistance.
“We've deferred property tax payments and water bill payments, and those who need to do that right now, city staff will typically work with on a flexible payment plan," he said. "We've also run Digital Main Street to help small businesses get online and grow online and have a series of Shop Local initiatives, as well as fun things like the parking-ticket program.
“While we're not the level of government with the deep pockets for emergency grants, every bit helps and we always try to assist.”
