Malls excluded from non-essential reopening; Windsor customers stopped at the doors
On the first day of Step 1 of Ontario’s reopening, customers in Windsor and Tecumseh were surprised to be stopped at the door, and most, turned away.
“Shopping centres across Ontario cannot open,” says Chris Savard, General Manager of Devonshire Mall.
“We did have some lineups at the doors, people expecting that today was a normal retail day.”
It’s far from normal.
Retailers with mall locations are only allowed to reopen if they have an exterior entrance.
Those with entrances inside shopping centres are not allowed to have customers in their stores until Step 2 of the provinces’ reopening plan.
“I would think probably 50 per cent of our customers were unaware of the limitations placed on shopping,” says Savard.
Every customer entering Devonshire Mall is approached by a security guard and asked the reason for their visit.
“We have an obligation to talk to every single customer, to make sure that you’re here for the prescribed purpose of going to one of those essential stores,” says Savard.
“Lockdown news is difficult,” Debra McVeety, general manager of Tecumseh Mall wrote in an email.
McVeety says they are ready to reopen, to full capacity as soon as the province gives it the green light.
In the meantime, she says they are incredibly grateful to their essential workers; “cashiers, maintenance, pharmacy, operating retailers (to name a few) - who have worked continuously and tirelessly offering exemplary service throughout this crisis.”
“It doesn’t make sense to me at all,” says Ayad Saddy, owner of BB Branded.
The clothing and sneaker store can only offer curbside pickup or online sales until the province moves to Step 2.
“Just because you’re store faces the street, now you’re allowed to reopen and if it doesn’t, you’re out of luck,”he says.
Saddy is trying to stay optimistic and hopes to have customers back in the store by early July.
“We’re just, you know, like everybody else, trying to make it through this thing so we can kinda restart our lives,” adds Saddy.
Stores at Windsor Crossing Outlet Mall are allowed to be open to in-person shopping since they have exterior entrances.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.