As businesses scramble to cope with provincial guidelines to gradually reopen, a new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business showed that just more than one third of small businesses across Canada have fully opened.
According to the CFIB survey, Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest percentage of business that were fully open at 20%, followed by Nova Scotia at 29% and Ontario at 34%.
While New Brunswick and P.E.I. led the provinces with the highest percentage of fully opened businesses (54%), it’s interesting to note that 43% of businesses in Quebec — the province with the highest number of confirmed cases in Canada — were fully opened.
“Importantly, the number of firms reporting they are fully closed has dropped to 17%, with 44% reporting they are partially open,” CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a news release. “Sadly, many business sectors remain largely closed. Arts and recreation, social services and restaurants/hospitality were the least likely to be fully open.”
Newfoundland and Labrador currently is in “alert level four” of its five-level reopening plan, allowing some low-risk businesses to reopen, which include garden centres, and professional services such as law firms and pet grooming services.
Nova Scotia’s public health directive permitted restaurants to offer takeout and delivery services only. Garden centres and outdoor sports facilities were also given the green light.
Ontario began the first stage of reopening on May 19, allowing retailers outside of malls with a separate street-front entrances to reopen.
Quebec, which led the provinces with its reopening plans, began lifting its lockdown rules on May 4.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
