Regina small businesses still impacted by pandemic
Small businesses in the city are still dealing with the fall out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Plumb, owner of Mercury Cafe and Grill, said the pandemic has been tough on business, with the diner generating enough money to keep the employees paid.
“The first year was fine, and then the second time around it wasn’t quite as good and now we’re in the third time around and it’s awful,” said Plumb.
Feeling like he had no where else to turn, Plumb made a plea to the community on social media.
“That’s who has supported us 12 years in business now almost, so I’ve got to turn to them and hope they come out and I mean people have been supportive,” said Plumb.
The diner has already seen an impact from the post, with a little bit of a lunch rush on Wednesday afternoon, which gives him hope the local diner can survive.
Plumb said local support is what’s needed right now, the Green Spot Cafe is relying on customer support right now as well.
“It’s been pretty tough, as you know, for all businesses, but we try our best to keep going and we’ve got really good customers and they support us,” said Sunshine Cheang, owner of the Green Spot Cafe.
The Green Spot, located in Agriculture Place, is celebrating 15 years if business in the Queen City, Cheang is looking forward to things starting to get back to normal.
“The tower people are coming back and they’re all excited to be here and they’re all really happy to see us and support us,” said Cheang.
Plumb dreams of the day when the pandemic is over and people flood to restaurants and bars, reminiscent of the end of the Spanish Flu pandemic, but for now, said everyone needs to support small businesses during these hard times.
“Whether it’s here or at another cafe or another restaurant or another store or anything, stay local as much as you can right now, it’s really important,” said Plumb.
Janis Procyk, owner of Brick and Mortar, said there was a big push for shopping local last fall, but added sales were down this Christmas season.
She said moving to a better location has helped them stay afloat, but they are also working on building a customer loyalty base.
“I think we’ll be okay and we’ll figure it out,” said Procyk, “It’s kind of a perpetual wheel of nothing is ordinary and you’re just constantly straining your brain and trying to do absolutely anything to keep the doors open.”
Opening the shop in the fall of 2019, it has been a hard few years for Brick and Mortar and for all small businesses.
Procyk said there is a common mentality of people being stressed out and fed up with the pandemic.
“It would be nice if people could kind of have some compassion, or show a little bit more forgiveness for their small businesses and just lean on them and help them out more than they necessarily generally would."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.