OrilliaMatters reporter Tyler Evans has made the journey to Ottawa to report on the protest blockade, inspired by the 'Freedom Convoy,' which is in its third weekend. He will be reporting from the nation's capital throughout the weekend.
Most businesses in the downtown core of Ottawa, which has been besieged by 16 days of massive protests sparked by a convoy of truckers, have shut their doors, further imperilling their economic future after two years of sporadic pandemic lockdowns.
However, a few downtown businesses have chosen to stay open during the protest. While representatives from most of those businesses declined interview requests, the owner of Crèperie Rim on Sparks Street, who refused to give his name, says in a normal year his business would be benefiting right now from the popular Winterlude Festival.
With the festival cancelled again this year, he saw the protest as an opportunity to bring in some much-needed funds while nearby competition stays closed.
“The protesters have been respectful so far,” he said. “They have all been great with us.”
Crèperie Rim's owner says the pandemic has been "really tough" on his business, which is only three years old.
“It’s been awful,” he said. “Every business down here has been waiting for this pandemic to be over so we can get back to business. Right now, there is no business.”
Crèperie Rim is well-supported by government workers who eat at the crepe restaurant on a regular basis, he said. However, the pandemic has put a halt to almost all tourism.
Another local business that is open in downtown Ottawa is Iconic Cafè on Slater Street. While the owner declined an interview request because of how busy it was on Saturday afternoon, Nic Langman, an Orillia resident who has attended the protest for two of the three weekends, says the cafè has been more than accommodating to protesters.
On Saturday, the business well exceeded the six-person capacity limit posted outside its entrance. Customers could also be seen inside not following the mask mandate.
“The owner and his staff have been wonderful,” Langman said. “They are saying if someone needs to use a bathroom, they are more than welcome to come here.”
The owner of the café offered Langman a place to stay to reduce his hotel costs. “I thought that was really amazing,” he said. “It’s people sticking up for people.”
Langman says the protest, from what he has witnessed, has been good for the few local businesses who have chosen to stay open.
“The mainstream media will tell you this has been awful for local businesses," he said. "If there is a business open, they are doing fantastic right now.”
However, the protest has been devastating for many Ottawa businesses. The Rideau Centre, a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street, has been closed for more than two weeks, putting an estimated 1,500 people out of work.
Some entrepreneurs have chosen to step into the void. A small vendor set up outside a downtown bank, looking to make a profit on Saturday.
The vendor was selling Canadian flags, hats, and other merchandise to protesters while some nearby shops with similar products remain closed.
Not long after they set up, police and a city by-law officer converged on the stand to issue a ticket for not having a permit. The vendor continued operating for the rest of the day.
