‘A Sense Of Excitement’ For Businesses Reopening In Halifax
HALIFAX – On June 5 businesses across Nova Scotia that were closed due to Covid-19 were finally allowed to reopen, albeit with some restrictions. Restaurants could reopen their dining areas; gyms, bars and barbershops could service patrons once again.
According to Paul MacKinnon, CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, businesses were pleased that the government allowed the reopening.
“There’s more of a sense of excitement, that this is a positive step. After so many weeks of hearing negative news, it just feels it’s moving in the right direction. The vast majority of the feedback I’ve had has been positive,” said MacKinnon.
The business community in Downtown Halifax proved to be resilient during the first few months of the pandemic. MacKinnon said very few businesses closed for good due to the economic crunch, although many of the reopened places face a lot of challenges.
Business owners everywhere have accumulated a lot of debt from deferred rent payments and other expenses, on top of months of little to no cash flow. Some businesses have to install plexiglass to protect employees and customers and purchase sanitization products. MacKinnon says the Downtown Halifax Business is providing grants to helo with these costs.
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Some Halifax businesses are concerned about their ability to rehire staff. Other jurisdictions that have reopened their economies have found it hard to convince employees to return to work during the pandemic, especially since it’s easy to apply for the federal CERB payments.
“You’ve heard stories where staff that were laid off have found other work or they’re having the benefit of government assistance programs… or they don’t feel the environment is safe,” said MacKinnon.
Another big problem for businesses, especially restaurants, is the matter of space. Businesses must adhere to the six feet, or two metres, of social distancing in their establishments. For restaurants and other businesses, that will cut down on revenue.
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The DHBC is working with the Halifax Regional Municipality to find more space for these businesses to operate.
“We’re still working with the city to try and create opportunities where restaurants can expand their space, either through outside patios…or additional space,” said MacKinnon.
“We’ve got such a great downtown for sidewalk cafes. So, the conversation right now is: how do we expand those more.?”
Cities across Canada have debated closing downtown cores to vehicle traffic to make them more friendly to pedestrians. The same debate has started in Halifax for the summer season. MacKinnon points out, however, opening downtown for more pedestrians is not as simple as it sounds.
“The businesses have to be part of that conversation…for years we’ve seen other cities making themselves much more pedestrian-friendly. We think that’s the future of downtown. You want to make a space that makes people on foot feel very comfortable,” he said.
“What we’ve started doing is going street by street. Not every street functions the same way.”
Another challenge facing downtown businesses is the upcoming tourism season. Any operator used to an influx of cash from national and international tourists may be hurting this year due to the pandemic. The DHBC, along with other organizations, are starting to promote a “staycation” within the maritime provinces.
“Everyone accepts that the tourism season is going to be hugely impacted. The big question right now is, will Nova Scotia’s borders be open to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island?” Said MacKinnon.
“The focus is going to be on a pretty robust marketing campaign around being a tourist in your own area.”
