Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen will officially begin tomorrow at 12:01 a.m., a date many personal care service owners have been waiting for.
On June 24, the Ontario government announced that Step Two will take effect on June 30, two days earlier than the anticipated July 2 start date and a local business owner says this couldn't come at a better time.
"I was obviously extremely excited! It's been a long run, plus they added an additional six weeks to our closure when they initially announced the Roadmap to Reopen. So finding out that we could open before Canada Day was the best news ever," said Shyy Kennedy, owner and senior esthetician at Buck + Doe Beauty & Wellness Studio in Kenora.
Kennedy adds that the calls were consistently coming in from regular and new clients following the announcement.
"Within an hour of the announcement being made, we were fully booked for nearly the entire month of July. Everyone kind of freaked out with excitement and booked well ahead of time," she added.
"This had been going on for nearly a year and a half so it's been super crazy. Luckily, we operate on a staff basis, so my staff were able to collect CERB and unemployment insurance. I feel really bad for the people who were renting their space because they couldn't take advantage of those services."
Other personal care services in the region have felt the hit from the restrictions, including Halo Hair Studio. Owner, Kari Mounk went ahead and opened her shop regardless of the restrictions earlier this month, as she would have been forced to close indefinitely.
"Bills keep coming [in], yet no money is coming in. Sadly, it's left me at the point [where] I have to open no matter what. Fine, or not, I can't afford, and neither can my girls, to stay [closed] any longer. It just won't work," said Mounk on June 9.
On the day of the announcement, Halo Hair Studio gave the public an update via their Facebook page.
"As you all know we tried to open our doors early. We wanted to show the government that without jobs, we have no lives. However, it didn’t last as long as there were many more things than just a fine and closure order," read the post.
Kennedy was unable to qualify for rent or wage subsidies throughout the pandemic, so she decided to take on a new endeavor and sell her business products online.
"The online store went well and ended up benefiting us in a weird way because I never would have had this much retail and inventory in the studio if I wasn't forced to bring it in. It kind of expanded our horizons, so now we have a store that is four times the size it used to be," she said.
Although some businesses can only perform limited services, Kennedy says this is a blessing for all just to be able to open and is just as excited for other personal care services across Northwestern Ontario.
"We're all on the same team and I hope everyone can continue to support each other because we've all been through hell and back. People always want to look good, so we [personal care services] aren't going anywhere soon. "
Kennedy also encourages residents and out-of-town visitors to continue to shop local to help re-establish the economy.
Other restrictions that will ease as of Wednesday, June 30, 2021:
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 5 people;
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity;
- Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions;
- Outdoor dining with up to 6 people per table, with exceptions for larger households and other restrictions;
- Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of the particular room;
- Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain 3 metres of physical distance;
- Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions;
- Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
- Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.