Business owners wary about reopening Monday after several false starts
Ontario will start its gradual easing of restrictions on Monday, starting with indoor dining, but at Barrie's Mexhico restaurant, the tables and chairs are still stacked.
"We have something pulling us back and waiting for the last minute to see if it's actually happening or not," said co-owner Emmanuel Flores.
After two years of being forced to scale back on short notice, the uncertainty is an all too familiar feeling for Flores, who has doubts after multiple false starts.
"Take out has not been enough. I think it would have almost made sense for us to close until the restrictions lifted. We would have probably lost less money."
Now Flores is set to reopen again, with a 50 per cent capacity limit and a new overhead expense.
Starting Jan. 1, the server wage increased to $15 an hour - one of the reasons he's now considering technology, like using tablets to order food, over bringing back staff.
"I don't want to, but we have to be looking at reducing the cost of whatever I can, so what is going to happen is a lot of restaurants around here will start moving that way."
Businesses will still be required to check vaccine certificates to contact trace.
"It just hinders the business and the freedom people have to enjoy their lives when they are out in a restaurant or a pub," said Fionn MacCool's owner, Nitin Mendiratta.
Each return to restrictions is concerning for owners struggling to recoup lost revenue.
"We are wasting five or 10 thousand dollars of inventory to just restart, and when we restart, all those products have expired, so we have to return them or throw them in the garbage," Mendiratta said.
Meanwhile, gyms and fitness studios like Waterfront Fitness and Pilates are also getting ready to welcome back clients, and hoping it sticks this time so customers can be confident purchasing full memberships.
"Not a lot of people want to do it. They want to stay home and hunker down until this all goes away," said owner Courtney Vettor.
The province said it plans to lift more restrictions on Feb. 21 but won't hesitate to press pause if public health trends have not improved.
But that threat leaves many business owners admitting that it could mean shutting down permanently if they aren't allowed to stay open.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
BREAKING Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.