'A complete write off': Rogers outage takes its toll on Waterloo Region
Some small businesses, hospitals, and residents of Waterloo Region are still feeling the lingering effects of the Rogers outage.
For Toyko Smoke in Waterloo's Bridgeport Plaza, service was still spotty and slow on Saturday, July 9.
"It was a complete write off yesterday," said manager Nick Miller. "Some transactions [today], which are normally five second transactions in a POS system, can take up to five minutes."
The shop closed up all day Friday due to the outage and lost an estimated $4,000 in sales.
"People placing orders online, we couldn't even get their online orders in because no internet service," said Miller.
Sarah McQueen, co-owner of Recharge & Play Wellness Café, says she's wondering how such an outage can be prevented.
"Our phone lines are down, our internet is down and all of our programs and system run off of the internet,” said McQueen on Friday. "There are ways we can work around it, but it is pretty significant how much it's impacted the business."
Experts warned, at the height of the outage, technology used in the healthcare field was at risk.
"It's important to know it's not just cellphones and computers, it's anything that's connected in with the Rogers infrastructure," said cybersecurity and tech consultant Ritesh Kotak. "You have VOIP lines, you have medical equipment in some cases that may have a Rogers SIM card attached to it."
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre based in Ottawa is now asking Canada's telecom regulator (CRTC) to hold an open inquiry into yesterday's failure.
A FEW LINGERING EFFECTS FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS
While no major equipment failures were reported at Waterloo Region hospitals Friday, St. Mary's Hospital officials say some communication issues were still lingering into Saturday.
A spokesperson for Cambridge Memorial Hospital says their wireless and landline connections were offline, which added to the challenges the full-capacity and short-staffed hospital is facing, like wait times in the ER.
They add that they don't anticipate the challenges will get better over the short-term, but that patients in the ER will be cared for on a priority basis.
Meanwhile, Grand River Hospital officials say they saw some delays in discharging patients and were unable to contact family members as well as health system partners that were impacted by the outage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.