'We are looking forward to opening,' Fitness centres, indoor dining resume Friday
After months of closures and lockdown, fitness facilities are preparing to open as the province moves to the next phase of its reopening plan.
"We are really, really excited to be welcoming people back. It's been a long time that we've been able to have anything that even looks like normalcy," said GoodLife Fitness general manager Tammy Kliewer.
On Friday, Ontario moves into Step 3, five days ahead of schedule.
This next stage means gyms and recreational fitness facilities are now allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity.
"We are all missing huge components of the things that keep us in prime physical and mental health, and these facilities are one of those," said Kliewer.
Fitness isn't the only industry gearing up to welcome people back.
Indoor dining at restaurants is also returning with no capacity limits as long as diners are physically distanced.
"We are looking forward to opening up. It's been a long time. It's been a rough ride," said the owner of Il Buco Ristorante, Enrico Angelucci.
Like many restaurants during the pandemic, Il Buco has taken a financial hit, and with a push to prepare for more customers, new challenges are emerging.
"Some staff went on to different things, and there is not that many people looking for work," said Angelucci.
Still, Angelucci says the green light by the province brings with it a sense of normalcy, although he anticipates the road to recovery won't be an easy one.
"We lost a lot of money, and we invested a lot more money, but we can only hope and work hard," Angelucci said.
Complete details on what's permitted in Step 3 of Ontario's Roadmap to Reopening are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.