'Doesn’t make any sense': Arts and culture sites pushing to reopen before Step 3
Arts and culture sites are among those businesses that will remain closed when Waterloo Region enters Step 2 of Ontario’s reopening plan on Monday.
But some local facilities are hoping that changes so that they can reopen before Step 3.
THEMUSUEM in Kitchener has opened two new exhibits, including a feathered dinosaur exhibit and Sonica, a sound exhibit - but the public hasn't been able to see either yet.
“It’s been sitting here. All the dinosaurs have been patiently waiting for the guests to arrive,” said David Marskell, THEMUSEUM's chief executive.
Pre-pandemic, THEMUSEUM’s capacity was around 800 patrons.
Marskell said they plan to cap it at much less than that when they’re given the green light to open their doors.
Right now, a reopening won't happen until the region reaches Step 3.
“What we had planned for is about 100 spaced out over five floors,” said Marskell.
Marskell is among many in the tourism industry hoping the province makes an exception to allow them to open sooner.
“Doesn’t make any sense,” said Doug Wilson, president of the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory.
He argues their spacious facility can be just as safe as other businesses allowed to operate in Step 2.
Staff with the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory said they have only been open for six weeks so far this year. They said last summer, after the first lockdown, they were successful and they want to do the same thing again, sooner.
Wilson said the conservatory installed plexiglass barriers, signage for one-way traffic flow and timed-entry tickets to control capacity.
Like many galleries and museums, the conservatory has tried to adapt with virtual installations, but it's been a challenge.
“You can’t expect to replace the experience of walking through a tropical butterfly conservatory but showing someone a photograph,” said Wilson.
According to the Tourism Association Of Ontario, these types of businesses can't afford to wait any longer.
“This is our peak season as a tourism and culture industry. That could be a huge amount of money that’s lost,” said Christopher Bloore, CEO of the Tourism Association of Ontario.
The association said about one in five Ontario tourism businesses, out of about 200,000, remain closed.
The association has been lobbying the province to be treated at par with other non-essential businesses.
“There has been no reported examples of transmission down to tourism. That’s the message that we are putting to the chief medical officer,” said Bloore.
In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries said outdoor museums and galleries can reopen as long as it is within capacity limits, but not indoor sites.
“While we are seeing a bend in the curve in Ontario, we are unable to speculate on the loosening of restrictions ahead of the implementation of Step 3 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen," a spokesperson said in an email. "Details on Step 3 under the Roadmap will be provided in advance of implementation.”
The tourism association and local businesses said they will continue to fight to reopen as soon as possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.