Local businesses scramble to hire more staff as capacity limits lift
Capacity limits have lifted for non-essential businesses that require proof of vaccination, and local restaurants are preparing to welcome more foot traffic through their doors.
“We are pretty excited about it,” Armend Morina, manager at Dearborn Restaurant said to CTV. “It helps [restaurants] a lot, due to the fact that they’ve been left out for two years now.
"I don't think we'll ever be back to how things were in the past."
Indoor dining joins sports facilities, gyms, casinos and other non-essential workplaces as the latest businesses to be included in the province’s decision to ease pandemic restrictions. However, some businesses are unsure if they can keep up with the sudden increase in customers.
“In a way it’s great that we’re back to max, but at the same time it’s going to put pressure on the owners knowing the fact that we have to hire more employees,” Morina said.
Dearborn Restaurant owner Mike Fthenos said he’s reluctant to open at full capacity until he hires more employees to handle the heavy workload.
“They really didn’t give us too much time to get ready for a full house,” Fthenos said. “I’ll probably stay at half capacity for a while until I get the staff I need in order to handle a full house.”
In Kitchener, owners at Gym 41 said they’re ready to welcome more people into the facility to workout.
“It helps create the atmosphere of a gym,” Matt Rolleman, Gym 41 co-owner said. “That’s the way gyms are, it’s kind of like restaurants. You want to have people around. People feed off each other.”
Places of worship, museums and personal care settings can also operate under lifted capacity limits if they opt-in to the vaccine certificate program.
Proof of vaccination still isn’t required to access medical care, grocery stores and other essential services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Russia reports downing 5 Ukrainian military balloons in Kyiv's latest apparent war innovation
Russian air defences downed what authorities described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, the defence ministry in Moscow said Thursday, as the sides kept up long-range strikes that have featured heavily in what has largely become a war of attrition.