Ontario is currently enduring another 28 day lockdown. While big box stores and internationally owned retailers continue to thrive under the provincial regulations, Ontario small businesses are being the target of yet another attack on our livelihoods.

When asked to comply during the first two lockdowns, we all did our part. We want to end the pandemic and resume regular life as soon as possible, and believed our provincial leaders had this goal in mind as well. This most recent shutdown is not a provincial lockdown. With packed malls, in-person schooling, and big box stores running with minimal regulations we CANNOT be asked to martyr ourselves in the name of lowering transmission.

The provincial government is closing businesses that are not responsible for transmission. Some regions have very little covid cases and others are high, why not a regional suggestion? Why not allow the small business to also restrict numbers in their facilities and added protocols too?

There are over 440,000 small businesses in Ontario. We have the largest number of small businesses of any other Canadian province, yet we are the only province to continually implement wide spread lockdowns of these companies. 

We are restaurant owners, personal care businesses, health and fitness professionals, event professionals, creatives & artists and much more. We have the safest protocols in place across this province. We are educated in sanitation, we can provide safe and socially distanced environments, and we genuinely care about our employees and customers. Our industries are not the ones with lax protocols and cleaning. We have some of highest protocols in place.

The Ford Government has made it clear that Ontario Small Businesses are not a priority. 

Less than a week ago Doug Ford told restaurants they would be allowed to operate outdoor dining even in grey zones; this caused restaurant owners to spend thousands of dollars on these spaces only to find out that this would not be the case in this current closure. This level of carelessness and lack of foresight and transparency could be the demise of many locally owned restaurants. Personal care services operate with extremely high protocols and can actually maintain, and enforce minimal numbers and are told to close while other large centres are allowed to thrive with less measures and more numbers.

We cannot continue with these closures. Our businesses will not survive. These businesses help your communities. The strain these closures are having on our physical and mental health is being overlooked by many in our province; we cannot stand by and watch our communities be decimated by this lockdown. People are losing their homes and not able to provide for their families.

This targeted closure of Ontario Small Businesses is inequitable and must end. Please sign and share this petition.

Thank you for your support!

Sherry Schneider - @orchardvalleyspa