The traditional Boxing Day shopping frenzy which sees scores of deal seekers flood downtown shops and malls will be noticeably quiet this year as a province-wide lockdown takes effect Saturday morning.
The measures, which were announced five days ago, are an effort by the Ford government to bring soaring COVID-19 cases under control.
Toronto and Peel Region are no strangers to the province’s grey-lockdown measures, with York Region, Windsor-Essex and Hamilton having recently been added to the list. But as of Saturday, those rules will apply all across Ontario.
That means all non-essential businesses will be closed to in-person shopping, indoor dining is also off limits and no indoor organized public events or social gatherings, except with members of the same household. Weddings, funerals and other religious services can only have 10 people regardless if they are indoor or outdoor.
Essential businesses that remain open will have strict capacity limits while restaurants will be permitted to offer take-out and delivery. Indoor sports facilities and personal care services, including salons, are all shut.
The province has announced it will offer a grant to some small businesses with a minimum of $10,000 to help offset losses.
Northern Ontario, where there are currently fewer cases, will see lockdown restrictions eased on January 9 while southern Ontario will have to wait until at least January 23.
The lockdown is also providing an extended winter break for schools as classes will move to online learning for the first week of the new year. Elementary students won’t be back for in-person learning until January 11 while high school students will continue remote learning until at least January 25.
The government says child care will remain open for the duration of the province-wide shutdown. But, during the time when elementary schools are operating virtually, “licensed child care centres and authorized recreation and skill-building providers will be prohibited from serving school-aged children.” Before and after school programs will also be shut down during the period of January 4 to 8.
Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the province’s COVID-19 science advisory table, has said anything less than a four-week lockdown will not work, based on the experience of other jurisdictions.
The latest virus projections in Ontario indicate the province’s ability to control the spread of COVID-19 is “precarious.” Data from health advisers concluded that tough lockdowns lasting a month or more could cut the number of daily cases to less than 1,000.
If Ontario’s COVID-19 case rate continues to grow between one and three per cent, the province will have 3,000 to 5,000 daily cases by the end of January, it indicates.
It also shows that under all scenarios the province will see 300 intensive care unit beds filled within 10 days – double the 150-bed threshold at which surgeries must be cancelled.
On Thursday – the last time the province updated its COVID-19 case count – a record 2,447 new cases of coronavirus were reported. Just under 1,000 people were hospitalized with the virus – 277 of them in the ICU.
WHAT’S OPEN
Schools, childcare centres, pharmacies, doctors, and dentist offices will be staying open during the lockdown
Essential services such as supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, hardware stores, discount and department store-type retailers, LCBO and beer stores and safety supply stores will also be open. There will be a 50 per cent capacity limit for in-person shopping, which means there could be lineups to get into these places.
Vet services will remain open
Motor vehicle sales are permitted by appointment only
Garden centres and plant nurseries are open by appointment only unless outdoor curbside pickup or delivery is available to the public
Outdoor markets are allowed with current public health measures
CLOSED WITH NO EXCEPTIONS
Hair salons and barber shops
Nail salons
Tattoo parlours
Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments
Amusement parks
Strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs
Museums, galleries, science centres, zoos and aquariums
CLOSED BUT WITH EXEMPTIONS
No indoor organized public events or social gatherings of any kind are allowed except with members of the same household. Outdoor gatherings, where physical distancing can be maintained, are limited to 10 people
Funerals, weddings, religious services There is a limit of 10 people both indoors and outdoors as long as physical distancing can be maintained. The Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto says it is suspending public masses for the duration of the lockdown, however, churches will remain open for private prayer.
Restaurants, bars, food/drink establishments Indoor and outdoor service is prohibited but establishments can offer take out, drive through and/or delivery which includes the sale of alcohol.
Retail malls
Curbside pickup or delivery only for non-essential businesses; no in-person shopping
Essential businesses located within malls are permitted to be open with 50 per cent capacity limits
Food courts are open for take-away service only
Two-metres of physical distancing must be maintained while standing in line
Sports and recreation facilities, gyms, fitness centres
All gyms are closed
All indoor facilities such as courts, pools and rinks are closed
Indoor team and individual sports are prohibited, including training. Exemptions are in place for high performance and pro league teams/athletes
Community centres and multi-purpose facilities are allowed to be open for such things as child care services
Outdoor sports, classes and amenities are limited to 10 people
Meeting and Event spaces These spaces are closed with exemptions for court and government services while mental health and addiction support services are limited to 10 people.
Movie theatres/cinemas Only drive-in theatres/cinemas are permitted.
Cannabis Cannabis dispensaries can only offer curbside pickup. No in-person shopping.
Driving instruction In-person instruction is not allowed; virtual instruction is permitted.
Horse racing No races are allowed, only training.
Housekeeping, maids, nanny services, babysitters, maintenance services All of these are permitted with public health measures.
Hotels, motels Hotels and motels can remain open but pools, fitness centres and meeting rooms are all closed
Libraries
Curbside delivery and pick-up permitted
May be open for permitted services such as daycare
No classes allowed
Nightclubs Nightclubs can only remain open if they offer take-out, drive through or delivery of food/drink service.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
