Lockdown talk reached Monday night’s council meeting, as Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman and Coun. Mike McCann sparred about the city’s response to new regulations for local businesses.
“We need to stop wasting time and help our businesses,” McCann said. “I want to know what we’re going to do. I’m done with the lip service and I think we need to do some action. These are unprecedented times.
“I want to put as much pressure as we can on our province to open up," he added. "The citizens of Barrie, the businesses of Barrie, we don’t live to work, we work to live. With the data put forward, we should be in the red (less restrictive than lockdown) zone.”
Last week, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner said he might ask the province to put this region, which includes Barrie, in lockdown due to a 30 per cent increase in cases, as well as community spread of the more transmissible United Kingdom variant strain of COVID-19.
On Friday, the province announced it was moving Simcoe-Muskoka from red to grey (lockdown) on March 1, invoking more restrictions, such as eliminating in-establishment dining at restaurants and closing personal care shops, which includes hair salons and gyms.
“Dr. Gardner did his job, which was to put public health ahead of all other considerations and recommend to the province that we close down again,” Lehman said. “In those restrictions, and by deciding on Friday at five o’clock, there was not enough notice given to the business community and the restrictions, unfortunately, still capture a whole bunch of supposedly non-essential businesses.
“The restrictions need to be changed, because after a year the small businesses have proven they can operate safely and there is not one case, not one case, of COVID that’s been transmitted from a worker to a customer,” said the mayor. “These businesses know how to operate safely, and so what needs to change is the provincial restriction that says they can’t open.”
Lehman sent an email to that effect Sunday to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Barrie MPPs Doug Downey and Andrea Khanjin, along with Gardner.
“There was tremendous interest in the community and I believe that pressure has been at least heard,” Lehman said. “Will the province act? I don’t know.”
McCann questioned Lehman’s consistency on this matter, however, pointing to his statement about 10 days ago supporting the lockdown and then asking for changes on the weekend.
“You’re the strongest voice we have on council, you’re the mayor,” said the Ward 10 councillor. “We’re all trying to rally behind our small businesses. They’re starving and there’s a bigger issue than COVID-19… mental, serious illness that is happening in our business community. I feel like my hands are handcuffed.”
Lehman said he stood by his comments about the lockdown and small businesses.
“First, councillors fighting does zero to help. Two, trying to point out an inconsistency in my statement… doesn’t do anything to help,” he said. “If you want to help, then let’s design investments in our community that will promote business, that will promote a strong economic recovery.
“On this issue itself, let’s all 11 of us call on the province to change business restrictions to allow non-essential businesses, small businesses, to stay open," Lehman added.
A petition started Friday, asking the province to change the grey-zone designation for Simcoe-Muskoka, had more than 21,000 signatures by Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) — which represents more than 400 small businesses — added its voice to those requesting an immediate change of restrictions within the grey/lockdown designation.
On Sunday, the Barrie Chamber of Commerce asked for a modified red zone — which would mean maintaining tighter restrictions on larger stores, but allowing restaurants and businesses offering personal services to stay open by following prescribed protocols for safety and tracing.
