Ottawa businesses face disruptions as protests continue

Some businesses in downtown Ottawa have been forced to close this week amid the continued disruptions caused by the ongoing convoy protest.

Michelle Groulx, the executive director of the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas (OCBIA), said in an interview that many businesses in the city's downtown core have been "seriously impacted" by the ongoing protests against vaccine mandates.

"Ottawa is used to having protests, but the scale has obviously been impacting citizens and the businesses downtown," Groulx said.

"It's been hard getting to the core of Ottawa, so some businesses can't accept deliveries, they can't do takeout, and some have had staff issues with getting people to work. It's been a very different challenge."

A convoy of truckers and protesters arrived in Ottawa on Friday to rally against vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions. While the protest has dwindled since the weekend, organizers of the protest say they plan on staying.

The OCBIA, which represents 19 BIAs in Ottawa, conducted an informal survey of downtown businesses about the impact of the protest. Of the 202 businesses that responded to the emailed survey on Monday, most (54 per cent) said they stayed open during the protest. About 40 per cent said they closed their doors during the protest, while 7 per cent said they closed before it began.

At the same time, 74 per cent of the 202 respondents said they lost revenue because of the protest. Another 24 per cent said the protest did not impact their businesses, either positively or negatively.

Groulx said the timing has been particularly challenging for businesses, many of which were able to reopen after being shuttered for several weeks due to provincial COVID-19 restrictions. Ontario began easing public health measures on Monday, allowing restaurants to reopen for indoor dining for the first time in weeks.

"The restricted reopening was something many businesses were planning for, but many of those who were on the cusp of reopening decided to just remain closed," she said.

"It's quite a blow when you're waiting for that kind of opening day and then you yourself can't open."

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he has spoken with federal and provincial officials about getting financial relief for businesses that have been unable to open during the ongoing demonstrations.

The Rideau Centre mall, operated by Cadillac Fairview, posted a statement to its website saying it will be closed from Wednesday Feb. 2 to Sunday Feb. 6.

"Out of an abundance of caution as the events in downtown Ottawa continue to progress and based on direction from Ottawa Police Services and the City of Ottawa, CF Rideau Centre will remain closed to the public for the remainder of the week," a spokesperson for Cadillac Fairview said in an emailed statement.

The City of Ottawa has advised residents to avoid non-essential travel, especially in the downtown area, due to continued traffic and transit disruptions. It also closed City Hall to the public, and amenities including the Rink of Dreams.

Organizers of the convoy released a statement Wednesday saying they plan on remaining in Ottawa "for as long as it takes" for governments to end all mandates associated with COVID-19.

"Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy," Chris Barber, one of the organizers, said in a statement.

"We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have prefer [sic] to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue,"

With files from the Canadian Press

Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.