It's not the End of the World, but it is serious

Small Business and Corona Virus isolation ...

While the Governments and many local businesses have scaled back operations, or employees are asked to work from home, there is another side of the COVID-19 pandemic, ignored by some. A great many people understand, but may not completely grasp, the future ramifications of isolating themselves and their surroundings.

St. Mark's Catholic Church in Aylmer has it's
doors closed and parking lot empty. It is a rare site during
Lent that a church has no worshipers.

Churches are closed, Libraries are shut down, the main street looks as quiet as a residential avenue instead of a busy road at rush hour. Parking lots in front of restaurants and some plaza’s are devoid of vehicles.

We all know that the most vulnerable of us (physically) are the elderly and the very young, but there is another area of vulnerability that is seldom spoken of.

From a financial perspective, many of those in danger are privately owned and small business. In Aylmer - much like any other border community of Ottawa - a good many of the businesses are just that, small - run by single individuals or partners.

Among those businesses are small enterprises, such as flower shops, restaurants, bakeries and the like.  These businesses need traffic, many will offer delivery or an online option, but that still negates a large part of their income. These commercial ventures were started because the owner loved their work, live for the community and wanted to offer something more,  Most rely on their own expertise to ensure the company grows or – at very least – stays afloat.

While many people understand the health of our nation is a priority, when this is all over those same people may want a job to come back to.  Some will not have this luxury.  

In true Law and Order fashion, here are their stories:

Kevin and Chantal in front of their restaurant.  This is their life-long dream
and the Corona Virus is setting up to shatter that dream.

Bistro Mexicana 129:

Co-owned by partners Chantal Labrie and Kevin Clement, the Bistro relies heavily on traffic

for their success as an enterprise.  They've built an outdoor patio - which is enjoyed by

many starting in the early Spring.  Like most restaurants and bars, they count on sales of food and drink and these two go out of their way to ensure their clients have a full Mexican-food experience. Tuesday evening Buffets were a big hit in town.  With the stay-at-home protocols now in place, the restaurant was relegated to using ‘Skip-the-Dishes’ and other services to deliver meals. Now, after only a few days of take-out only, Chantal and Kevin have completely closed down until this is over.

The scene shows a deserted
restaurant, with no one in the parking
lot. It is usually full at dinner time.

“Kevin and I are scared.  This restaurant is our dream; things were really starting to go well. We still have a payroll to make and very little coming in.  So we stand here, like little soldiers, making payroll for staff, preparing takeout meals for our patrons, with very little coming in,” said an exhausted Labrie.

“We are both stressed, we won’t give up, but we know a lot of people who may. This has hit them hard, not just the disease, but trying to control it.” Labrie stated. 

"With everything at stake, especially the health of our staff, patrons and ourselves, we've decided to close completely until this is over."  we are following the Governments guidelines and requests,"  she finished.

Kevin and Chantal have laid off a majority of their staff and hope they will all come back to work when this ends.

David Gillespie Plumbing Services:

Having to go into people’s homes is an unknown, but that's what contractors, plumbers and electricians do every day. The vast majority of self-employed have to save for their own retirement; they support their families with their earned income, and have few if any medical or dental plans.

David Gillespie, a well-known and respected Aylmer plumber is one of those self-employed individuals.  While he is still somewhat busy, he has noted a recent drop in calls for his service, and he is being selective.

“We take it day by day, as of now, there are toilets to be unplugged, and hot water tanks to change. Everyday is a new day (…) I’m really hoping that all our local businesses can get through this,” Gillespie commented.

While he feels business has leveled off, he also hopes it doesn’t dry-up completely.

“I have intentionally slowed things down in order to do emergency service. I believe the virus has kept (some) people from calling professionals, like myself.  My phone is still always on but limited to certain cases,” said Gillespie. “(…) and it doesn’t ring as much as it used to,” he concluded.

Gabriel’s Restaurant:

While Gabriel restaurant is part of a franchise, each establishment is privately owned and operated.  This Aylmer establishment is owned by Sam Awad.  With the forced restaurant closures, the dining room, which is the bulk of their income, has been shut down.  Gabe’s – as it is commonly known – now relies heavily on their take out and delivery service.  All serving staff and cooks have been laid off until this pandemic is over.

While Sam claims they can survive for a short time with the delivery and take out service, the longer this goes on, the more it hurts the business and staff.

A normally heavy traffic route, Aylmer
Road had less than a half-dozen cars
on it during mid-week morning rush hour.

“I’ve had to lay off most of my staff.  I kept a cook and have some delivery people, but family here is working for free (for now).  If business is slow like this until the end of March, I don’t know what I’d do,” said Sam.

“I just need to pay the rent on this building, pay my remaining staff and cover my mortgage payments,” he said.  “I love this town and the people here are always supportive, I just hope they will continue to support us by ordering food and either picking up or having it delivered.  I want to make sure all my employees can come back when this is done.”

There are more stories just like these.   Aylmer Florist, a staple in Aylmer for many years, has closed her doors and put a 'For Sale' sign up.  Next door, the normally busy Aylmer BBQ has 2000 sq. ft of empty tables and chairs, operating with a skeleton staff and hoping take-out and delivery pays the bills. 

Hair stylists, barbers, clothing stores have all laid off staff and locked their doors.  These are mostly companies owned by a single individual, not a conglomerate or large corporation.  

When the dust settles ...

When this pandemic ends - and it will - these companies, our neighbours and friends, will need the support and generosity of those less affected.  This means going to Gabe's restaurant instead of downtown Ottawa, eating Mexican food in Aylmer instead of a national chain, ordering flowers on a regular week day, buying your clothes at the stores in the Galleries Aylmer, and basically shopping locally instead of on Amazon.

While the Government of Canada has offered a generous package to help employees out, the actual businesses themselves are still not bringing in revenue to pay rent/mortgage, utilities, and other expenses.  This money can only come from the consumer.

These companies, which sponsor our children's baseball and hockey teams, deliver pizza to people sandbagging during Spring floods, donate to the food banks and other charity organizations will need OUR help for a change.  I urge everyone to get out there (when the veil is lifted) and support your local business as if their very survival depended solely upon you.