'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
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.