North Bay businesses frustrated with capacity limits
The Toronto Maple Leafs can welcome 20,000 fans to their games, but local restaurants in North Bay are still operating under capacity restrictions.
It's something that has restaurant and bar owners angry, and according to CTV News, the province is responding.
Sources say the Ford government is working on a post-Step 3 strategy that will lift capacity limits on businesses where vaccine certificates are required — a plan that will be announced next week.
As part of that phased approach, sources say the government is looking at potentially relaxing mandatory proof of vaccination rules, as long as the province’s pandemic picture continues to improve.
That's music to the ears of North Bay businesses owners. Before the plan to ease capacity restrictions was announced Thursday, they were angry.
“We would like to see a situation where there’s an even playing field with every mandate,” said Ryan Ivy, owner of Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ.
“The reality is that myself and other operators have dropped at least a good 25 per cent of our capacity across the board. These other venues are able to operate at greater capacities with less restrictions, which is making them more appealing.”
The owner of Average Joe’s, located on the other end of town, told CTV News he would like to see more of a plan rolled out.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Jim Bruce.
“There doesn’t seem to be any type of plan. If there is a plan, they should at least share it so that we have an idea of what we can be doing versus what we shouldn’t be doing. It’s very, very difficult.”
The decision to allow arenas, concert venues and movie theatres to operate at full capacity has left the Ontario Chamber of Commerce asking the Ford government what metrics and tools it’s using to make its decisions.
North Bay’s chamber of commerce agrees, and president Peter Chirico said restaurant owners feel left in the dark.
“They really want some sort of idea so they (can) plan. They’re already having a hard enough time getting employees,” said Chirico.
“They just want to know what those metrics are, can they see trends coming, all of those things. When we get to certain points will this happen, will this happen, so they have some type of way to plan for the future.”
Restaurant owners did say the way they are operating now is better than another lockdown, but said they would like to see more than just the government involved in the decision making.
“If you think that someone is any less safe inside my restaurant then in a stadium I would disagree,” said Ivy.
“I would disagree that I have more staff per capita when it comes to customers to be able to regulate, which means more eyes per person to be able to see anybody who’s not following any of the rules. This is a small controllable area nothing really gets past us.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.