THUNDER BAY – Business owners in Thunder Bay are about to push back against the provincial government forcing their establishments closed.
Katrina O’Neill, owner of Sew Flippin’ Creations in the County Fair Mall, says in protest of the government extending stay-at-home orders for another two weeks, until June 2, she plans to open to the public on May 20.
That’s the day the shutdown order was originally scheduled to end.
Brothers Carmen and Cosimo Minnella say they plan to reopen Memorial Avenue’s Trenz Hair Studio and Day Spa on June 3, the day after the extended order is scheduled to end.
All three entrepreneurs are calling on the Ford government to go back to a regional reopening approach, which given Thunder Bay’s current numbers, would allow both businesses to reopen under Yellow conditions.
“Enough is enough,” said Cosimo Minnella, adding he’s spoken to a number of salon owners in the city who also plan to defy stay-at-home orders next month if the city isn’t returned to the colour-coded framework.
Salons in the city have been closed for all but two weeks since Boxing Day.
“Come June 3rd, if a regional approach isn’t decided for Thunder Bay, salon owners, we are going to reopen. We’ve talked to other fellow salon owners. They’re in the same boat. They’re all tired of it as well,” Carmen Minnella said.
“We’re going to open.”
It’s been tough, going without a paycheque for so long, and it’s worth risking any penalty public health or Thunder Bay police might levy if they open in defiance of provincial regulations.
“Give me a fine. Give me a thousand here. Give me a thousand for the next person. They’re all going to go to court. If the judge wants to charge us $1,000 for it, go ahead. We’re at the point where you’ve got to do stuff for your family,” said Carmen Minnella.
O’Neill said there’s no real reason why Premier Doug Ford chose not to go with a regional approach on May 20, with case levels in Thunder Bay dropping to 34 on Friday.
The premier is ignoring the pleas of local politicians, including Mayor Bill Mauro and both local MPPs, Liberal Michael Gravelle and the NDP’s Judith Monteith-Farrell, not to mention medical officer of health Dr. Janet DeMille, all of whom have advocated for a regional approach.
Instead it’s been hinted by Dr. David Williams, the chief medical officer of health for Ontario, that the province may wait until daily case counts drop below 1,000. There were more than 2,300 new COVID-19 cases announced on Friday.
“On May 20, I plan to open my doors. I don’t have any scheduled appointments, but I will be accepting people. If they want to come into the store, they can,” O’Neill said. “And I’m doing so out of protest to raise awareness of the issue of continued lockdowns and lack of a regional approach, which is really devastating to businesses.
“We cannot survive constantly being told you can open on this day – but then this day comes and you don’t get to.”
O’Neill, who opened her store in October 2019, said people have a misconception that businesses are being well compensated to stay closed.
“We’re not, and businesses are teetering on the edge,” she said. “We need to have our government recognize that they developed the regional approach for a reason and it should be up to the regions to decide whether or not they can open.”
O’Neill isn’t sure if the May 20 opening will be a one-day protest or perhaps extend beyond that day.
