Ward 3 Couns. Matthew Shoemaker and Sandra Hollingsworth will ask City Council on Monday to ask Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario government to address concerns about perceived inconsistencies on which stores and businesses are allowed to be open under the current lockdown.
The councillors want capacity limits on restaurants and other businesses to be determined on a per-square-metre basis.
They're also calling on the province to avoid "unfair competitive advantage between businesses" and to work with municipalities to develop creative solutions to keep businesses open while ensuring a safe consumer and employee experience.
Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.
The following is the full text of the resolution to be presented.
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Small Business in COVID
Mover: Councillor M. Shoemaker
Seconder: Councillor S. Hollingsworth
Whereas the City of Sault Ste. Marie endorses the proposal of the City of Thunder Bay to take a regional approach to allowing small businesses to open in areas of the province less severely affected by COVID-19; and
Whereas the City of Sault Ste Marie endorses the following resolution which was also passed by the City of Thunder Bay:
Be it resolved that the provincial government be requested to revise the Rules for Areas in Stage 1 under Ontario Regulation 82/20 (“lockdown”) to address the inequity created between small businesses required to close and businesses permitted to open and continue sales; to avoid unfair competitive advantage between businesses; and to provide consistency with continued effective health risk management in consultation with Public Health;
Further be it resolved that the provincial government be requested to revise the physical distancing protocols to require capacity limits based on a per square metre basis for all businesses, including restaurants, which are currently subject to a hard-capped occupancy limit regardless of business size or capacity based on the current provincial re-opening framework subject to consultation on Public Health best practices; and
That the City of Sault Ste. Marie calls on the province to partner with municipalities to pilot unique/additional parameters and programs with our local business community that may be key to offering a safe consumer and employee experience so that businesses can remain open and viable while recognizing the unique makeup of local communities; and
That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honourable Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, the Honourable Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, associate minister of small business and red tape reduction, the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of finance, the Honourable Ross Romano, minister of colleges and universities and MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM).
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