Some downtown Barrie businesses say they are growing increasingly upset with the ongoing rallies at Meridian Place, where hundreds of people have been protesting the provincial lockdown and restrictions in recent weeks.
Merchants say it's not only affecting their businesses, but protesters may also be spreading misinformation about health protocols used at local shops.
This past Saturday’s 'freedom rally' was the sixth event held at the public space on Dunlop Street West, where those in attendance have railed against restrictions, such as wearing masks and public health protocols.
P_ZZA eatery owner Stefano Agostino, who was part of the small-business rally a week before the so-called freedom rallies began, says the anti-restrictions group does not have the same vision that many business people hold.
“We very much wanted change. The restrictions weren’t fair for small businesses as they were for big box stores, but we did it in a safe way by wearing masks and trying to keep socially distant,” Agostino told BarrieToday. “The organizers here have been very clear that they are not in it to help small businesses, but rather the kids.
"And that's great, but then why hold this huge, unsafe rally in a business area unless you’re just looking to cause problems?”
Agostino’s business has been on Dunlop Street East during an extremely trying year for many downtown businesses. There has not only been a pandemic closing shops, but also major construction on the main street that has hindered both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
“We’ve been through a lot down here and businesses have been affected, business owners who do have kids (and) families,” he said. “Now we’re dealing with a few hundred people gathering against health regulations — and it's not only not helping, it's hurting.”
Tracey Baker owns Zuzu Fashion Boutique on Dunlop Street and was forced to shut down due to the stay-at-home order.
Baker says she believes in the right to free speech and to protest safely, but her real issue is how rally organizers and those in attendance have been allowed to continue doing what they are doing.
“My objection is to what's happening being allowed to (happen) under these circumstances we are in,” she said. “They’re not wearing masks, not social distancing and we just aren’t allowed to gather.”
Baker says she understands, to some extent, the tactics being employed by Barrie police (which includes a "measured" approach, with some tickets being handed out and educating those in attendance) and the city (by announcing Meridian Place was closed on Saturday and urging people to stay away), but hopes at some point things get resolved.
“I get if police went into the crowd to break them up, there are confrontations that could happen and no one wants that,” she said. “I get the want for some to protest, but this may be an example of being focused on personal opinion and not looking at what the community really needs right now.”
At one point during Saturday's rally, an organizer told the crowd to go to Ripe Juicery because the store was serving customers who were not wearing a mask.
In an email, Ripe Juicery co-owner Meghan Muise told BarrieToday she does not know the organizer of the freedom rallies and doesn’t understand why her Dunlop Street East business was singled out.
“We have no idea why anyone would say that about our business," she said. "We require masks in our locations, other than medical exemptions, which is in accordance to the law.
"We do not know the rally organizer and we are unsure why our business was mentioned, other than the fact that we were open on Saturday when many businesses decided to close," Muise added.
Muise admitted her staff was “incredibly thrown off" by Saturday's crowd and did "their very best to follow the law,” which she said included asking every customer to don a mask.
Muise added she isn’t sure if she's angry with the rally’s organizer who mentioned her store, but said it was “clearly a misinterpretation of the truth.”
“We accept legitimate medical exemptions, as is the law. Yes, we follow the mandates with masks. Yes, we care about the safety of all of our customers. Yes, we are thankful for the ability to still be in business and we appreciate that anyone would want to support our business,” she said. “We work so hard to keep our community healthy and safe.”
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit told BarrieToday that businesses must not allow patrons to line up inside, or congregate outside, unless they maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from others and wear a mask or face covering, with some medical exceptions.
Ripe Juicery will re-evaluate how it will proceed following what happened on Saturday, Muise said.
“We were blindsided and we are very proud that our team remained calm and continued to remind customers of the mask mandate and show customers where the masks are," she said.
