Today, Stacey Thornton should be celebrating the second anniversary of her business, Orbis Muskoka, with joy. Instead she’s on the brink of losing her business due to COVID-19 rolling lockdowns.
“It’s been rough on my mental health. I am generally a positive, happy person but when your future is out of your control it makes for a difficult thought process,” said Thornton. “Worry, stress, and the unknown are very difficult to handle.”
“Luckily, I know many people in the community and the vast majority have either offered to help or have helped,” she said. “We’re all struggling right now. Even though I’m having a hard time, I want to help others. We need to stand up and make the government realize this latest lockdown makes no sense. How does a business—salons, gyms, tattoo parlours, spas—that follow the rules, strictly, get shut down? Yet, retail stays open? It’s confusing to say the least.”
Thornton posted a video on her business’ Instagram account, before the current lockdown took effect, expressing her frustrations with the current situation. The thought of losing her business brings tears to her eyes.
“I am extremely frustrated at the Ontario government when the only businesses that have been affected by this lockdown in Muskoka are personal care services. Mental health is a huge issue and has only been getting worse, probably in the last decade, to where the numbers are so high we have allocated funds through the government to help these people, me being one of them… I’m actually coming up on [Orbis Muskoka’s] two-year anniversary, which I do not get to celebrate, is devastating,” she said in the opening of her video post. ”
“I have to close down and you can still buy a sweater, you can still go into the mall but you can’t get your hair cut. I’m sorry, I’m very upset,” she said as her voice began to shake. “I don’t understand the government’s ruling. I don’t understand how in 1,000 square feet and at the most four people in here at a time, I have contact tracing, I sanitize everything, I wear a mask, I wear a face shield. My clients are all restricted on what they can bring in here. You’re not allowed to bring a purse, you’re not allowed to bring your children, you’re not allowed to do anything while you are in here. I have followed every rule to a T and I am penalized for no reason. There is no reason.”
Thornton said initially with the COVID-19 outbreak nearly a year ago, she was more worried about the well-being of others and the spread of the virus.
“I wasn’t overly concerned about my business until the third month, then had to borrow money from family. The second lockdown was frustrating but at least they let us get through the holidays so we weren’t as financially stressed; still took it’s toll though. When they extended it by three weeks that hurt but I made it through,” she said. “This third one just made no sense and they didn’t give us enough time to bounce back. Having said that, however, if they wouldn’t have let us open for those two weeks, I definitely would have had to shut down. Those two weeks helped me to be able to scrape through another month.”
Thornton has spent hundreds of dollars on paper, ink, and PPE to follow the rules in place for her business with hope of keeping her doors open and not being shut down. But with Simcoe Muskoka now in a COVID-19 Grey-Lockdown zone, all personal care businesses have been ordered to close—again.
“I can’t stay open… but you can go buy a pair of earrings and I can’t even afford my rent. I don’t understand it. I don’t get it. I’m hurt and I’m suffering and I have the best support system in the entire world but it’s not enough,” she said through tears in her video posted on Sunday, Feb. 28. “The government has to do something. The government has to separate Muskoka from Simcoe. We have had zero cases in the last two days and I have to shut my doors tomorrow for God knows how long. It is heartbreaking.”
Like Thornton, many residents and business owners have been asking for months to separate Muskoka from Simcoe County in the health unit’s joint designation, as there are typically more cases in Simcoe, which negatively impacts Muskoka when the health unit suggests which colour level the area should be under in the provincial COVID-19 response framework.
“With the announcement of the Grey-Lockdown in Simcoe Muskoka, many business owners and other citizens affected by this have reached out to me to express their deep concerns of the impacts on businesses including the endangerment of businesses and people’s livelihood, the negative impacts on physical and mental health, the loss of access to cherished activities, and the inequity of this designation when considering the designation in neighbouring locations. They have also questioned the necessity of this designation, in particular in Muskoka, which is much less heavily impacted by COVID-19, as well as the apparent ineffectiveness of such restrictions in preventing people from more heavily impacted areas in the GTA from coming here. I am also aware of the concerns of this nature raised on social media, and in an online petition,” wrote Dr. Charles Gardner, SMDHU medical officer of health, in a letter to business owners dated March 1.
“I will also continue to provide the province with information on the health status of our communities regarding COVID-19 and the UK variant. It may be that our overall incidence of COVID-19 remains stable or declines despite the rise in the UK variant; if this is the case, we may be able to move into a lower colour designation in the provincial framework in the near future. The designations are reviewed weekly by the province, though I recognize that frequent movement from one designation to another is a challenge in and of itself to manage. However, it is important to know that we may also see a rise in the incidence of COVID-19 due to the impact of the UK variant; this is the outcome that I am seeking to avoid with our present approach.”
Thornton and many of her supporters have sent her video to MPP Norm Miller and hasn’t yet received a response.
“Every day, every day I’m scared. Every day I’m stressed,” she said through deep breaths in her video. ‘I just had a client who works at Arrowhead [Provincial] Park [say] 75 per cent of the people who go there are from Toronto. They’re not stopped and they’re allowed, they’re allowed to be in groups of 10, 12 and 15 people all huddled together, not wearing a mask and I can’t keep my doors open and I follow every rule. I’m heartbroken. I don’t want to lose my business. I don’t want anyone else to lose their business. I’m not an anti-masker. That’s the hardest part about all of this. There are so many people who are anti-maskers who are making a stink and I support them because they’re just trying to help themselves and they’re trying to keep their businesses alive and I’m not an anti-masker. I wear my mask everywhere I go, I sanitize everywhere I go. I follow the rules and being a person who has always followed the rules my whole life, not being credited for that and not being allowed to keep my business open because I followed the rules makes no sense.”
As we approach the one-year mark since the first COVID-19 lockdown, Thornton said we need to learn to live with the virus instead of being focused on stopping it.
“It’s easy to blame other people for this virus spreading. But it’s a virus. We will never be rid of it. Not even when the vaccine comes out,” she said. “It will always be here and we need to learn to live with it instead of trying to stop it. It’s a losing battle and hurts way more people unnecessarily.”
She urges residents to continue to support their local businesses the best they can under restrictions.
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Don’t know if I am allowed to repost this article or not?
I found it very interesting if not very truthful?
MPP Roman Barber is calling for and end to draconian lockdowns and unfair business restrictions on small business’s. His reward for standing up for his constituents was his expulsion from the provincial conservative caucus. So he now has to sit as and independent for being honest.
Who do we elect to solve all the problems facing our nation? The same incompetent nitwits who have mismanaged this pandemic from the start. Are there any politicians holding public office in Canada who are actually capable of critical thinking?
Someone who’s opinion is not bought and paid for.
How did Canada become dysfunctional on so many levels so quickly? This proves beyond a doubt that the vetting process being used to elect leaders in Canada needs to change dramatically.
Small business is the backbone of the Canadian economy. When only corporate interests are being considered it’s time to start paying attention. Who else can afford to lobby the government to create and environment where they can succeed while everyone else fails.
The politicians in Canada are not very good at managing money as we have all witnessed, picking winners and losers has become the new norm. So corporate handouts in the form of a political contributions are sought after by all who seek public office. Is it any wonder that government policies seem so out of sink with the needs of the general population.
MPP Roman Barber is calling for and end to draconian lockdowns and unfair business restrictions on small business’s. His reward for standing up for his constituents was his expulsion from the provincial conservative caucus. So he now has to sit as and independent for being honest.
Who do we elect to solve all the problems facing our nation? The same incompetent nitwits who have mismanaged this pandemic from the start. Are there any politicians holding public office in Canada who are actually capable of critical thinking? Someone who’s opinion is not bought and paid for. How did Canada become dysfunctional on so many levels so quickly? This proves beyond a doubt that the vetting process being used to elect leaders in Canada needs to change dramatically.
Sorry Matthew, please fact check.
It’s over a year and n95 masks are still not available, paper masks for crying out loud!
Darn good thing we aren’t at war and need tanks, planes, ships.
The elderly are the largest number of people dying and we haven’t vaccinated all of the oldest group, I’m 68 and most likely won’t be vaccinated until late summer or fall.
I am in Stacey’s shoes as a small business owner but your view to move on is not realistic.
These are human lives and not even one single life can be sacrificed for a business or money.
Some will be losers when this is done but our history has shown that by sticking together, making sacrifices, and putting others before ourselves is the correct path. North Americans have fought wars based on this principle.
More people in North America have died from covid than in WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and the middle east combined.
This is a war. We all would be shocked if a foreign power attacked and killed half a million people right?
No, not business as usual, no you do not need to snowmobile, you don’t need to go to your cottage, everyone needs to do what’s right for 1 month with 0 exceptions and this will start to come around.
RIGHT ON PHIL !!!
Just blame the Conservatives. “Yes”, I am laughing out loud.
My heart goes out to Stacey and all the others on Manitoba street. She is brave to speak up. Ford
and our so called leader in Ottawa are plodding through this and everyday show that they are not compassionate to small business and seem to not know what they are doing. I also fail to see why Walmart and others are deemed safe when I can not get my hair cut.We need to move on with life and just learn to live with this virus. It will be like the flu and be here every year. We are destroying business along with people’s mental health. The people in Gov. are still getting paid every week and that is our tax dollars
Wake up Mr.Ford.!
Stop people coming from the GTA, stop busing in people from down south to work in our stores and food establishments. If they show up turn them away.
There are lots of people and businesses out there suffering and it makes you sick! We can blame these governments and health departments making these restrictions BUT. The ones I am blaming are those ones travelling to go shop. Go snowmobiling leaving their residence to have fun! We have been asked to stay home but o no some people just can’t do that! It is a proven fact that everytime there is a holiday there is an up tick in cases! More people die! Can I blame the government! No I am not! I blame those that think o it’s okay to go there or here. Go from this area to that area that has a low count! Like really, I think of those ones on the front lines, my nephews in the CAF, police services, my son in the fire services, store clerks. I think of them. So I stay home except Monday for essential travel for food and my elderly parents supplies. I am trying to do my part! How about you? As I have said before it’s respect from the top down. Safe day to all first responders and those out there making it work. Thank you!
For the people who are still preaching numbers of cases either past or present. Yes, we could have done better. Yes, we need to better prepared next time. But let’s move on with our lives.
People most are risk of dying from covid have either received the vaccine or they are about to. We all know to wear masks, stay distant, sanitize your body before entering a store, don’t do anything if you feel any sort of symptoms, ect.
Be safe out there but, let’s start living our lives once again. Let’s let the small businesses have what minimal chance they have to survive and let them open.
For those who read this and hate my opinion on the matter. I don’t think you have given any thought as to what it would be like to be in Stacey’s shoes and the many just like her. It’s not just about the business. It’s about not being able to provide for the people that depend on you. Your employees, children, a sick family member, friends in need, ect…
The issue I have with lockdowns is that nobody has provided a shred of evidence that stores are places of transmission. To the contrary, recent studies seem to indicate that 84% of all transmissions are indeed community related, but happen predominantly in workplaces and schools, where mask wearing does not happen or is not strictly enforced. Restaurants are up there with prime risks as people take any excuse to take off their masks. More differentiation seems warranted. This is possibly where poor contact tracing shows its ugly effects. Without detailed knowledge you end up with coarse means (If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail). Some of the lack of knowledge, however, could be supplemented with common sense. Where masks are not worn, distancing rules are not followed and duration of exposure is extended, the virus will spread. Sorry, restaurants, but heads up stores. Personal services would rank somewhere in the middle. These are not issues of ideology, but issues of managerial judgement and performance, poor performance.
Not sure how many more business can be destroyed. The government doesn’t care based on there responses or non responses to the small business people. I’ve tried with no luck to contact all levels of government. If I may say bowling alleys have been hit especially hard threw this. They have been closed for 8 months and only allowed to open under extreme regulations and limits. 10 people allowed in 18,000 sq foot building???? Costs to run space this large cannot run with 10 customers. It’s unfair how a small percent of business’s have been targeted with these foolish restrictions with minimal or no government subsidy. Time for everyday people to stand up and support your hard working businesses that are getting screwed
I must admit it, anytime I’ve had occasion to contact Mr Miller’s office I’ve only received short meaningless answers.
But this is the conservatives so hey.
It’s a shame so many small businesses that are trying so hard are being penalized and the box stores can take advantage. If Walmart had a barber shop would it be open because they sell food?
Well, you can go snowmobiling with your 100 friends from the GTA and party in the hotel rooms or cottages. The OPP embrace this behavior, do it themselves, single you out if you are critical.
Every weekend as the weather improves we see more and more visitors from down south coming here. The locals suffer along because we have vested interest in our community and the visitors go home and leave the problem behind.
I’ve said from the start, Doug Ford is a mini Trump.
He operates by the same play book, spout bravado and concerns but make sure that big business and profits survive. Expect this to continue another year at least. Canada fluffed it’s feathers and at the beginning of this mess and now we look like fools.
And yet Muskoka will reelect Norm Miller. What a farce, this government only cares about big business. Norm apparently only cares about slip and falls, protecting the large insurance companies.
15+ years of absolutely nothing Norm. Good riddance, time to get lost. Your inaction on everything speaks volumes.
Muskoka, do not forget this.
Stacey is a very brave soul for sticking up for what she believes in, she’s fighting for herself and she’s fighting for many many other businesses everyone should be supportive of her and stick up for her and stand behind her, Mental health is a serious concern, the only outing that some older people get is going to a barber shop or a hair salon , when they can’t go out to get groomed once a month or once a week or once every three months I think that affects their mental health and our mental health also I think personal grooming is an essential service and a essential necessity and you should be able to go and get your hair groomed I think if you can get your dog groomed you should be able to get yourself groomed.
Thank you
The sad truth is that widespread lockdowns are the ONLY thing that the Ford Government has found that works. The province was averaging 531 new cases a day (7 day average) prior to the first provincial lockdown. Within 2 months, that average dropped to 80 (an 84% decline). After the Christmas holiday the new case average was 3546, today it 1084 (a 70% decline). The obvious problem has been due to their libertarian bent and refused to enforce travel bans (a regional approach is almost useless if people travel freely between regions) and their failure to finish the job by remaining closed until community spread is stopped. Just as New Zealand, Australia and South Korea have found the best thing for business is to end the community spread and open widely and freely. Last spring everything could have been shut down through July, the government could have replaced the whole economy for $500 billion and it would have been over (all you have to do then is test and trace all new entrants to the country; and quarantine those infected). Small businesses, of course, have my sympathy but the best they could and can hope for is for the virus to be stopped and then a full opening. This waffling is killing people, overwhelming our health system and destroying businesses and livelihoods.