A number of businesses will be impacted by the re-opening of northwestern Ontario’s economy Friday.
Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says he pushed to have our area opened at the cabinet table due to relatively low numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Rickford says our situation is much different than southern Ontario, and it’s appropriate we are treated that way.
“I had a lot of contact with what communities around the riding were doing. We were aggressive in our relationships with local businesses and the Chambers of Commerce. The Mayors every Friday we would meet, Indigenous leadership as well was on that call.”
However, Rickford says he didn’t get everything he wanted.
“I was hopeful that restaurants could have opened at the same capacity as say churches. Maybe 30% with social distancing. The patio piece is great but there’s not as many patio bars out here in northwestern Ontario as there are in other parts of the province.”
The Northern Development Minister admits deciding who could open and who would stay closed was a hard choice.
“Most difficult thing about this whole process from day 1, when we were picking the essential businesses, was taking ‘winners and losers’. In some instances it can become heartbreaking. The key is to be safe. Protect people from Ontario. And I’ve heard overwhelmingly that that’s what we accomplished.”
Rickford admits one of the first things he’ll do is get his hair cut.
