Acton business owners adapting to COVID restrictions

Non-essential businesses in Ontario were closed soon after March 17 when Premier Ford declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions that followed have been tough on many businesses and owners have had to accommodate them to re-open. But as BIA coordinator Alex Hilson asserts, retailers and service providers in Acton are a tenacious bunch. “We've actually gained more businesses than we're lost in the last six months, though there's no denying that some of them are hurting.” The pandemic protocols have been tougher on some businesses than others. Melinda Webb, owner of Ambition Performing Arts Centre 16 -18 Main Street South, offers programs for young people that include dancing and theatre arts. She was forced to completely close down in March, and is now running at half-capacity. “We had 120 students that were in classes that were paid for and we were getting ready for our year-end recital,” she said. “We had costumes, we were learning dances, my competitive team was five weeks from going on stage and competing, and we had to shut everything down.” Webb switched to remote ZOOM online classes for her enrolled students and ran them until June, but that technology had its own set of challenges. “It was really difficult. We have a lot of people that live in rural Acton who don't have great access to the Internet. And we had a lot of really young kids that didn't understand that our teachers were talking to them. They thought we were just some big person on a screen,” she said. “Most of us thought that the shut down would last a couple or few weeks, but the weeks turned into months,” added Webb. Some businesses were allowed to open in June, but Halton Region only emerged into Stage three on July 24. By then Webb had cancelled most of her summer programs. Finally, she was able to run some summer camps late in August. Ambition Performing Arts is fully operational now with two studios that can accommodate up to 16 students. Only the singing classes have been cancelled. “The idea of coming into a dance or acting class has completely changed,” said Webb. “We've had to outline six foot boxes on the floor that the students have to stay in. They have to wear masks when entering or exiting the building, or going to the washroom. Masks have to be worn in any common area, and everyone has to use hand-sanitizer when entering the studio. Students get their temperature checked, and they are not allowed to have their parents in the space. We have a lot of young children two, three or four, who have to leave their parent at the door; I'm lucky that many of my students had easy transitions and they really love what they do.” Webb credits an understanding landlord, who applied for federal rent-relief, for helping her survive. “From a business perspective we've lost 40 percent of our enrolment. We are running classes with two or three kids which is strange, last year we had ten or twelve kids. It's been a really difficult transition. At the same time I'm really excited that I'm even open, that I can have these classes in the studio and that people are putting their trust in me and I'm keeping them safe,” she said. Linda Dimatteo owns Mane on Mill Hair Studio at 13 Main Street East. Her business was closed March 19 and re-opened June 19 as Halton moved into Stage two under the protocols set out by the health department. “One customer at a time, that's the way we did it,” she said. “Since I'm a sole proprietor and the only one here right now so I was able to keep my door locked. We weren't under the mask bylaw yet, but I was masked, and my clients were masked. When they left I would lock the door and steam everything down and clean with Lysol. Hair salons understand the importance of cleaning. Apparently, across Canada, not one case of Covid-19 has been traced to a barber shop or hair salon,” she said. “Business is down, but that's because of Covid-19. I think if we had probably worn the masks back in February we could have stayed open. But I do see light at the end of tunnel.” Peter Humeniuk, owner of Pete's Barber Shop at 27 Mill Street East, took advantage of the hiatus to bring in a construction crew and get his shop renovated. He's also taken away a few chairs to keep his clients distanced and removed the magazine racks. So far Humeniuk hasn't had any trouble with people showing up for haircuts without face masks. “People might forget their masks and leave them in the car, but I have some here if anyone needs one.” Humeniuk admits business is slower than last year at this time.. “I was closed for two months so maybe people were cutting their own hair, I don't know,” he said. “Maybe some others are still scared to come out, even though we're pretty safe here in town.” Real estate brokers have an advantage over other store front businesses because most of their listings can be viewed on-line. But things have changed for them, too. For one thing, the offer and signing process has become very reliant on E-signatures using online signing programs. And showing a property to a client also involves distancing protocols. Clients and the broker arrive in separate vehicles, and no children allowed on-site. Furthermore, open houses may be a thing of the past, according to Sarah Brophy-Platts, owner of Royal LePage Escarpment Realty Brokerage. “Open houses have been highly recommended against. You don't see them much and they've been banned in the hot spots. It's not something we're using.” Real estate businesses in Acton are doing comparatively well compared to others. House sales are experiencing a boom as the “new normal” witnesses people fleeing crowded cities for smaller towns and rural locations. Sarah Brophy-Platts, explains: “Houses are in demand. A lot of people living in condos or town homes are feeling too tight, too close to other people, everybody wants a little more space, a little more room.”