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‘This will be the final nail for a lot of places’: Restaurants, fitness studios see doom in Toronto’s new 28-day ban

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

As he pondered the news that Toronto was again as case counts soar, Erik Joyal wasn’t exactly shocked. But that didn’t make it any easier to digest.

“It’s super disappointing. It’s going to make for another very, very tough month,” said Joyal, partner at Ascari Hospitality Group, which runs several downtown restaurants.

The new 28-day restrictions — announced by Toronto’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Eileen De Villa — aim to stem the record COVID numbers Toronto’s been seeing. The restrictions include extensions of a ban on indoor gym and yoga classes, cinemas, casinos and event spaces, as well as extending a ban on indoor dining and drinking, just as the weather cools off and patio season winds down.

That, said Joyal, could spell the end for some Ascari properties.

“I’ve got landlords breathing down my neck for November rent, and the rent subsidies haven’t come through yet,” said Joyal, referring to the new , unveiled in early October by the federal government.

“It’s unacceptable. This city is killing small businesses,” tweeted Celina Blanchard, owner of Lambretta Pizzeria.

Restaurants Canada vice president James Rilett said restaurant owners are terrified. Some owners had hoped Toronto would reopen indoor dining by this weekend as had been previously been scheduled, or at worst extend the ban another week, Rilett said. Many will now go out of business permanently, Rilett predicted.

“This will be the final nail for a lot of places. Another month is a lot different than an extra week. Some people were hanging on, waiting for this weekend,” said Rilett, who estimated that “well in excess of 50 per cent” of Toronto restaurants won’t survive the pandemic.

Those owners are especially mad at political leaders, Rilett added.

“Our members are incredibly frustrated being scapegoated, especially when they see politicians saying ‘we understand what you’re going through.’ No they don’t. They’re standing up there at a press conference with six or seven people around them who they clearly don’t live with,” said Rilett.

Fitness and yoga studios are also going to get wiped out en masse, predicted Micaela Hoglund, co-owner of F45 Training Etobicoke Central.

“This is absolutely devastating. This could be the end for the entire independent fitness-studio industry in Toronto. Even if we reopened, there’s such a stigma now that it will scare people away. And it’s just not fair or accurate,” said Hoglund, who called Toronto’s move arbitrary and an overreach.

Hoglund also said it’s more than about just businesses trying to survive; the ongoing restrictions because of COVID are also taking a very personal toll.

“Last week a colleague had to sell their house and tell their kids they were moving. I personally know three people in this industry who have taken their own lives during COVID. I’m worried,” said Hoglund, who predicted legal challenges to Toronto’s move will be coming.

What’s especially frustrating for many small-business owners is that Toronto’s move comes just a week after the provincial government announced a new colour-coded set of COVID restrictions, said Ryan Mallough, Ontario regional director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

“People were relieved to finally see some transparency with how to get into and out of the various stages, when Ontario came up with this system. Now they’re just ready to throw their hands up in the air, because it seems like the provincial system doesn’t even matter,” said Mallough.

Josh Rubin is a Toronto-based business reporter. Follow him on Twitter:

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‘Overwhelmed with generosity’: Everett community rallies to help family displaced by fire at convenience store

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

From offers of used clothing, gift cards and cash donations, Everett residents are doing everything they can to help a family that was displaced by a house fire.

The fire at the home attached to Ivan’s Convenience on Main Street broke out Nov. 12 around 4:30 p.m.

The fire department said the blaze was caused by an unattended pot of oil in the kitchen at the rear of the home.

“The fire was contained to the kitchen area but the rest of the house has heavy smoke damage,” District Chief Gary McNamara wrote on Facebook. “The store was not as bad, but all the items will need to be cleaned.”

A family of five lives at the home, including two adults, two young boys and a teenage girl, but everyone who was inside at the time escaped unharmed.

McNamara said the homeowner is insured and is working through the claim process.

The damage was estimated to be less than $200,000, according to fire chief John Krayetski.

Residents are working to set up a Go Fund Me page or bank account to support the family.

“He is overwhelmed with the generosity this little town has shown him and his family,” McNamara added.

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Project forging Pathways to Care for Black kids, youth in 6 Ontario cities

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

An initiative aimed at improving the lives of Black children and youth across Ontario has completed eight months of research in Toronto and is now underway in five other cities throughout the province.

Pathways to Care is the result of a cross-sector collaboration between the Black Health Alliance, TAIBU Community Health Centre, the Wellesley Institute, the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) and Strides Toronto.

Its mission is to increase access to mental health and addictions care for Black youth and children in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and Windsor, and to build service providers’ capacity to provide culturally competent care.

To get there, researchers will sit down – virtually, through surveys and remote focus groups – with Black children, youth, adults and caretakers, as well as the organizations that provide services to Black children and youth, to identify gaps in access to services and learn how to bridge them.

Fatimah Jackson-Best, a public health researcher specializing in mental health, is in charge of the project.

“All of us want to see the progression, the amplification and the improvement of Black people’s lives and well-being and mental health. So that is the ultimate goal,” Jackson-Best said. “I’m just hoping this achieves moving the dial forward.”

According to the Black Canadians represent 18 per cent of people living in poverty in Canada despite representing only 2.9 per cent of the overall Canadian population. And immigrants from the Caribbean and Bermuda, as well as refugees from East Africa and South Asia, experience up to double the risk of psychotic disorders compared to the general population of Ontario, according to the .

“There’s messaging that everyone has mental health and we have to take care of it, and that messaging is absolutely correct,” Jackson-Best said. “But I would say that the messaging also needs to include that some people have factors that impact their mental health that are out of their control, like racism, discrimination, etcetera.”

By next year, the team behind Pathways hopes to deliver all the information they gathered back to the communities and stakeholders in each of their six target cities by producing a strategic framework, tailored for each city’s needs, that mental health and addiction service providers can use to deliver the best care to Black children and youth. They will also use local data to create interactive maps people in each city can use to find services close to them.

Despite the challenges of launching in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic – the first survey to service providers in the city went out the week the pandemic was declared – Jackson-Best said her team gathered a lot of valuable information and used the opportunity to fine-tune the research methods they’ll use in the remaining cities.

She said major events this year, such as the pandemic and the resurgence of public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, have also underscored the need for initiatives like Pathways to Care.

“The pandemic has really underscored just how much mental health challenges are affecting Black communities, due to a range of factors like poverty, income, class, privilege, etcetera,” she said. “All of those have become so much more pronounced through the pandemic.”

To learn more about Pathways to Care, visit .

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Barrie Burger’s Priest, Orillia Harvey’s help community with burger deals

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

With #GivingTuesday here, Harvey’s Orillia has announced it is partnering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters Orillia to offer 10 per cent of its sales to the charity today (Dec. 1).

Orders also count if made through or .

And is kicking off a 10-day contest today, to celebrate the chain’s 10th anniversary. In Barrie, the restaurant is at .

Wanting to give back to customers, they are giving away $10,000 cash as a prize. But the winner can’t keep the money themselves, they must give away to a deserving recipient.

The winner of the ‘give-away give-away’ will also be awarded free Burger’s Priest burgers for a year.

And for the 10th anniversary, the chain has reimagined the burger with a new invention, the First Ten burger, which is the ultimate COVID comfort food: a burger served between two full soft-baked doughnuts grilled with butter and topped with a dusting of icing sugar.

As part of their 10th anniversary plan, The Burger’s Priest will also be releasing a limited-edition series of “Have Faith” Canada logo branded hats, T-shirts and hoodies in-store and online.

“2020 has been an incredibly difficult, personally challenging and frustrating year for all of us, including the Burger’s Priest family and staff,” president and CEO of Crave It Restaurants Alex Rechichi said. “We are very fortunate to be in a position where we can pay it forward to our struggling peers and help support the Canadian restaurant industry that we love so much.”

Enter the contest by sharing or following #Firsten between Dec. 1 — Dec. 10 and sharing who they would give the $10k prize to, and why, in 140 words or a 15-second video.

The winner of the $10k cash award will be named on Dec. 14. Additional prizes include nine giveaways of free burgers for a year. Random giveaways will be awarded to customers that order the #Firsten burger in-store and online. Full details are available on .


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Alliston hospital clarifies comments about building’s fire safety status

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) and the local fire chief are providing clarification and context to some questions that came up recently at Queen’s Park regarding the building’s fire safety status.

On Nov. 23, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson received support for his private member’s resolution calling on the government to continue to support planning work for the construction of SMH in Alliston and Collingwood General and Marine Hospital.

, he talked about how a “massive investment” would be needed in order for the building to have a proper sprinkler system and how staff are forced to store equipment in the cramped hallways.

He even said the fire chief has officially put the hospital on notice about the building being in contravention of the Ontario Fire Code.

The hospital’s facilities manager, Wayne Willcott, told Simcoe.com the building is not in violation of the code, but it has been given a deadline of Jan. 1, 2025, to install a sprinkler system in the 56-year-old building.

He noted that when the hospital was constructed in 1964, it was not a requirement at the time to have a system. There is only one small area that has a sprinkler system, the CT diagnostic imaging area, which was built more recently.

He said the hospital was “grandfathered in” as new safety regulations were passed over the years.

Hospital communications officer Rachel Ogorek said it has been estimated to cost between $850,000 to $2 million to outfit the building with sprinklers.

“It’s certainly not something we can manage without the support of the ministry supporting the redevelopment plan and packaging it all together,” she said.

As for the equipment being left in hallways, Willcott said these are the mobile work stations used by nurses. He said when the building was originally constructed, nurses did all of their paper work at the nursing station.

To ensure there is still access through the halls, he said the equipment is kept to one side.

He said this won’t be an issue with the redeveloped hospital, noting it will contain cubicles in the halls to store the work stations.

New Tecumseth Fire Chief Dan Heydon told Simcoe.com that his staff met with hospital management last year to discuss how the facility can achieve full compliance of the fire code come 2025. He said the code was updated in 2014, requiring sprinklers to be provided in health-care facilities, care occupancies and retirement homes by Jan. 1, 2025.

Heydon said space has been a long-standing challenge at the hospital, noting how the hospital is servicing many more patients than it was designed for.

“New Tecumseth Fire and Stevenson Memorial staff have been working co-operatively for many years to quickly address any concerns that arise to maintain compliance with the Ontario Fire Code,” he said. “There are no outstanding fire code violations at Stevenson Memorial Hospital.”

Willcott said the annual fire inspection was recently completed, and only some minor issues were found, like faded stickers on doors.

He said many things have been done over the years to make sure the building meets the code, like installing door openers on fire exits and providing evacuation chairs to move patients safely down stairwells.

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Heather Scoffield: Want to save the economy? Let’s start with the $150 billion that Canadians have saved during the pandemic

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

There’s a good reason why the cry to “buy local” for Christmas shopping has risen to a fever pitch, flooding our inboxes and social media streams with high-pressure ads to attend online craft markets and order takeout food.

Canadian households are sitting on more than $150 billion in savings right now, according to new calculations from BMO Capital Markets. They’re hunkering down for the duration of the pandemic, and the private sector and governments alike are nervous that all that money will sit dormant or seep out of the country and into the hands of Amazon.

It’s a huge amount of money, much larger than the fiscal stimulus package of between $70 billion and $100 billion that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says is on the way next year.

Like the local restaurants and the artisans at the Christmas fair, Freeland made it clear this week she has her eye on all that money. She wants to “unleash” it and see it flowing through the economy, bringing consumption, sales and investment back to life.

But not quite yet. It’s part of her government’s post-pandemic yet-to-be-designed recovery plan for the future. That’s where the tension lies.

“The government’s growth plan will include investments that deliver on our commitment to create a million jobs and restore employment to pre-pandemic levels, as well as unleash some of the Canadian economy’s pre-loaded stimulus: additional savings that have accumulated in bank accounts of some Canadians and balance sheets of some businesses,” Freeland said Monday as she presented her fiscal update in the House of Commons.

“This will foster economic rebirth in the short run and strengthen this country’s competitiveness in the long run.”

This week’s fiscal update took a small step to encourage “buy local” by announcing the intention to charge sales tax on purchases from Amazon.

But for businesses, especially small firms that have had trouble moving their operations online and keeping their customers, waiting for a recovery plan feels far too long.

They’re pushing government authorities at every level to create the conditions for at least some reopening. They’re urging funding for improved testing, help to make public places safer, more personal protective equipment for firms and broader use of the COVID-19 app.

The hope, explains Perrin Beatty of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, is to funnel some of those excess savings in people’s bank accounts into struggling businesses in a safe and cautious way — well before vaccines bring the pandemic to an end.

“We need a strategy to manage the risk,” he says.

The big pile of savings sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at the state of the pandemic economy.

Statistics Canada reported on Tuesday that Canada’s GDP grew a record-breaking 8.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2020 — which works out to a 40.5 per cent expansion if that pace were to continue for a year.

But of course it won’t continue for a year, and in fact it’s less of a boost than many economists had projected for the rebound following the pervasive pandemic closures earlier this year. The Canadian economy is still 5.3 per cent smaller now than it was a year ago, and the next few months are, by all accounts, going to be just dreadful, Christmas shopping be damned.

Despite the downturn, savings have soared. Canadians were stashing away 14.6 per cent of their disposable income this fall. That’s less than the 27.5 per cent of this summer, but far, far above the single digits of the pre-pandemic economy.

Critics are quick to say it’s proof the federal government dished out way more money than it needed do, especially in the early days of the pandemic when almost anyone could qualify for emergency response benefits.

But shows that low-income households needed most of their CERB funds to get by. Middle-class families soaked up the CERB and had to borrow more. And most of the excess savings are in the bank accounts of high-income households — likely a factor of pandemic constraints rather than government largesse or excess caution.

That’s why Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, suspects the federal government may not need a big stimulus package after all. When pandemic restrictions disappear, those high-income people with the bulging bank accounts may pay off some debts, but they will also be wanting to travel, entertain themselves and their friends, and spend lots of money.

There won’t be much of a need to “unleash” anything, Porter argues, because that $150 billion will spring to life on its own accord.

“I think there’s a ton of pent-up demand,” he says.

If only it were set free in time for Christmas.

Heather Scoffield is the Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and an economics columnist. Follow her on Twitter:

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Had your COVID-19 vaccine? Ontario will give you a card to prove it

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Ontario will give people who complete their proof of vaccination in case they need it to travel, to work or to go to the movies, Health Minister Christine Elliott says.

With the first vaccine shipment expected this month, Elliott promised a new public communications campaign to educate people on all aspects of the vaccinations, including why it’s important to get them and potential side effects.

There will also be a system to keep track of who gets the first primer shot to make sure they return for the booster a few weeks later.

While the vaccine will be voluntary, Elliott said Ontarians should be aware it may become a requirement for travel on airplanes, employment and other activities where there is close contact with others, given the highly contagious nature of the virus.

has infected at least 131,000 Ontarians and killed 3,808 in the province, with a record 16,151 residents now fighting active cases after testing positive in the last 14 days.

“There may be some restrictions that may be placed on people that don’t have vaccinations, for travel purposes, to be able to go to theatres and other places,” Elliott said Tuesday.

“That will be essential for people to have.”

The communications campaign will also be aimed at helping people who may be hesitant to make a decision for whatever reason, such as the rapid development or concerns it is new. .

“Some people want the vaccine but they don’t want to be first. That’s where it’s important for us to have a public campaign on awareness.”

Liberal House Leader John Fraser said communications will have to be much better than the flu shot effort this fall, where heavy demand outpaced deliveries and resulted in some pharmacies cancelling appointments because they ran out of vaccine.

“Ontarians will need clear and consistent communication to know what to expect,” Fraser added. “This means setting targets and showing your progress.”

Phase one of the vaccination effort will focus on residents, staff and essential caregivers at nursing homes, retirement homes and other congregate living situations like group homes, health-care workers such as hospital employees, Indigenous communities and people receiving home health care for chronic conditions.

That means most Ontarians won’t start getting shots until April, when phase two is expected to begin. There are no approved vaccines yet for those under the age of 18.

The first shipment is coming from Pfizer, with locations for injections to be announced soon but likely to be at a few of the 21 hospitals with ultracold freezers need to keep the vaccines at about -80C.

Elliott said the drug company will ship boxes of the vaccine directly to hospitals the government chooses, which will be “in the areas of the greatest need,” such as the GTA hot zones for transmission of the virus.

Locations will be announced soon, and people on the priority list will have to go to the central vaccination sites.

The government has warned that nursing home residents may have to wait until a second and more stable vaccine from Moderna is approved and ready because Pfizer has advised too much jostling of the medicine can reduce its effectiveness, meaning it cannot be taken directly into long-term care facilities

“They shouldn’t be moved more than once,” Elliott said, rejecting long-term care homes as initial deployment sites for the Pfizer vaccine because they don’t have deep freeze capability.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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Town waiting for funding decision on adventure playground project at Riverdale Park in Alliston

Aug 9, 2021 , , , , by shlf

There’s a reason the new equipment at the adventure playground in Riverdale Park in Alliston is still MIA.

Dan Burton, the Town of New Tecumseth’s director of parks, recreation and culture, said the equipment was on track to be installed this summer, but the work was paused after the province informed the town the project was being considered for funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

The joint federal and provincial funding program will provide $30 billion to municipalities over 10 years for projects related to recreation, culture and public transit.

If the province hasn’t made a decision by the end of the year, Burton said, council will have to decide whether to proceed with the work as planned, with the hopes of having the playground installed next spring.

The total cost of removing and replacing the equipment has been estimated at about $440,000.

Council has also agreed to award a contract to a company to design, supply and install playground equipment for the town over the three years.

Audits performed in recent years determined that 12 playground structures need replacing.

The draft budget includes funding to install new playground equipment at Faulkner Park in Alliston and Pitel Park in Beeton, and to replace equipment at Beeton Community Park and Eastern Park in Tottenham.

Faulkner Park will cost $700,000, Pitel Park will cost $546,000, and Beeton Community Park and Eastern Park will both cost $330,000.

CHANGE APPROVED

Council has rubber-stamped a zoning-bylaw amendment to allow SmartCentres to move forward in the planning process for a mixed-use development across from Walmart that will include eight apartment buildings.

The full development at includes 350 rental units, but the first phase of the development only has one building with 42 units.

The developer has also proposed using the site for a hotel and commercial self-storage facility.

A holding symbol has been placed on the property until the town determines whether sufficient water supply is available to service the development.

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Cars out on Lake Shore eastbound, Bayview this weekend

Aug 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Having already extended its summer road-closure program past Labour Day, the City of Toronto said Tuesday that it’ll now push the program into October, closing off chunks of Lake Shore Boulevard, Bayview Avenue and River Street this weekend.

Residents’ desire to keep physically active during COVID-19 rules and the popularity of the closures drove the extensions, said Mayor John Tory, urging Torontonians to “get outside and enjoy the (closed roads) again this weekend.”

From Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, Oct. 4 at 11 p.m., here’s what’ll be closed to cars, but open to pedestrians and cyclists:

  • Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road;
  • Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound only) from Leslie Street to Woodbine Avenue;
  • Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue.

Last week, the City announced data that showed an average of about 18,000 cyclists used the Lake Shore West closure on warm summer days. The routes, the city said, run adjacent to some of Toronto’s busiest and most popular trails where people can walk, run, and bike; the city gave that credit for helping to reduce virus spread over the summer months.

City staff will report back in January 2021 on lessons learned from this year’s ActiveTO programs, including the impacts on traffic, and in consultation with residents and businesses, recommendations for modifications to the program for 2021.

Zena Salem is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email:

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‘A time when physical distancing is essential’: Barrie hoping to drum up support for Business in the Parks program

Aug 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Got a dance class or music lessons to give, but lack the space due to COVID-19 restrictions?

Barrie’s Business in the Parks pilot program runs until the end of October and it may be the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs and instructors to give clients a little breathing space amid the pandemic, the city’s economic and creative development director, Stephannie Schlichter, said.

“The program provided the city with the opportunity to offer a service to local businesses during a time when physical distancing is essential, while still allowing them to operate safely,” she said, noting two bookings have been made through the program so far. “We hope to grow this program in the future and offer more opportunities for local companies and organizations to benefit from reserving designated city spaces.”

Council authorized the program in August. It allocates space at Meridian Square and the Kiwanis Pavilion, near the Southshore Community Centre, to commercial and event-based businesses for half- and full-day blocks.

Those businesses can offer private dance, fitness and music classes, art workshops and similar activities. Customers pay a fee and members of the public are barred from the area during the booking.

For more information, visit .