Tee it up, Ontario
Business owners say they are pleased with the first phase of province’s reopening strategy,
Business owners say they are pleased with the first phase of Ontario’s reopening strategy, and plan to reopen with new safety restrictions in place.
On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the first phase of the province’s plan to reopen the economy. On Saturday, private parks, campgrounds, marinas, boat clubs, golf courses and businesses that board pets will be allowed to open.
Deanne James, general manager of Carruther’s Creek Golf and Country Club in Ajax, said the course is ready to open on Saturday, albeit with strict social distancing rules.
“We had all of the all of the health and safety protocols brought into place,” she said.
For example, customers will be asked to book and pay online and not arrive early, and to only enter the building one at a time when necessary.
James said she thinks golf is a great sport to play right now since it’s easy for people to remain socially distant, and added that people are excited to get back outside for the long weekend.
“It’ll be a little bit different of an experience, but I think that they’ll feel like at least they can get out and do something that’s fun and social.”
On Tuesday, the first phase will begin in earnest, focusing on businesses “wellpositioned to follow public health advice to maintain physical distancing, implement workplace safety guidance and limit gatherings,” according to the
plan document provided by the government.
This includes resuming construction activity, letting retail stores with entrances outside of shopping centres open with restrictions, reopening vehicle dealerships, reopening media operations such as music recording and film studios, and reopening non-essential research services.
Aside from the businesses opening Saturday, some other outdoor recreational facilities will also be permitted to reopen. Pools are not included on the list.
Health-care services including clinics, hospital surgeries and in-person counselling will be allowed to resume. So will pet care and veterinary services, libraries (for pickup and delivery), and services such as cleaning and maintenance.
Tim Sothern, partner with BDO Canada, said some of the province’s selections for reopening have been strongly seasonal businesses — such as domestic services, golf courses and, earlier this month, garden centres.
“They’re going to need that kind of economic activity,” he said.
The first stage will last between two and four weeks, depending on case numbers and the advice of Ontario’s top medical officials.
Ford cautioned that businesses should only reopen if they are ready and that those choosing to open should be prepared to close again if things change.
Sothern echoed this, and said while the reopening may be good news to many businesses, they need to plan carefully, not just to mind health and safety protocols, but also to communicate well with staff and customers.
He said retailers inside malls will continue to suffer until the province can figure out the proper protocols to safely reopen them.
“They’re the ones paying the highest amount of rent,” he said.
Ontario’s first phase is different than some other provinces’ approaches — for example, Quebec has reopened its schools outside Montreal with restrictions, and as of Thursday, Alberta is letting restaurants and bars resume sit-in services at a restricted capacity, except in Calgary and Brooks.
Cynthia and Tiffany Or, coowners of Toronto clothing and accessory store Creeps, said they plan on reopening Tuesday, but with strict social distancing and sanitary protocols such as mandatory hand sanitizer at the door.
They said the store won’t bring back all its staff right away, especially part-time staff still eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
The sisters said they are happy with the government’s cautious approach to reopening the economy, and that to them precaution is more important than making money.
“I think people are eager to go outside and go somewhere, but I think there’s a lot of fear,” said Cynthia Or.
In an emailed statement, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business expressed its appreciation for Ontario’s cautious reopening approach, but called for more financial support to help businesses that are still struggling to pay rent and other costs.
“While we appreciate the government’s cautious approach, Ontario is facing both a health and an economic crisis,” said Julie Kwiecinski, director of provincial affairs for Ontario, in the statement.
“We urge the government to freeze commercial evictions and work with their federal partners to improve the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program so that tenants get some certainty as they begin to reopen their doors.”