COVID-19 is jeopardizing a long-time dream of a young Dryden resident owning her own store.
Danielle Scherban opened Northwest Goods in October 2020 thinking the low number of local COVID-19 cases wouldn’t result in a lengthy, blanket shutdown.
Now, Scherban says the extended lockdown is threatening the future of a number of small businesses across the north and patience is starting to ware thin.
“We’re getting kind of burnt out trying to figure out ways to sell our products when we’re not allowed to actually have customers in our store. I’ve seen it even in Dryden locally where a few stores, they just aren’t really advertising anymore about products. It’s just like a feeling of defeat.”
Scherban says they have done everything in their power to be competitive but stresses it’s frustrating to see huge line ups at big box stores,
“Some days its kind of like ‘What’s the point in having a store open anymore.’ Honestly if it keeps going it could mean small business closures and the only thing that’s going to be left are the big box retailers that are allowed to operate with really no restrictions at all other than capacity restrictions.”
She is joining the chorus of others in demanding a provincial return to regional reopenings.
“I’ve heard we were put into the lockdown to show solidarity with the rest of Ontario. If you think, if it were to be reversed and the cases were skyrocketing in Northern Ontario and not in Southern Ontario, it’s hard to imagine that they would show solidarity for us.”
Scherban stresses, “I just find it silly that we can’t allow one person into our store but we can go into a Walmart, for example, with 200 plus other people and there’s really very few restrictions in place and it doesn’t seem like they are being policed very well.”
She adds, “We just don’t get the amount of customers like those big box stores do every day. So it’s easier for us to follow those (health) guidelines and it’s just so much more easier to keep control in our small businesses which is just more of a one-on-one customer service compared to those big box stores.”
Scherban is demanding answers from the provincial government why small stores like hers aren’t allowed to reopen.
Scherban says she’s been trying to get answers to her questions and attempting to get a hold of elected officials but hasn’t heard anything.
She notes there is only so much financial aid can do and adds current programs don’t allow for growth or provide for their own bright future.
Her concerns are being echoed by many others across the region.
Jennifer Bowman of Wilderness Woodbutchers in Red Lake contacted CKDR News expressing frustration with the lack of answers from the provincial and federal governments.
The company representative says small and non-essential Carpentry/Construction sectors like Wilderness Woodbutchers are not eligible for the current grants available and despite numerous attempts she has heard no response from elected officials.
Bowman stresses they have been impacted, revenues have decreased, but no help is available.
The Black Barrell Eatery in Dryden also recently took to social media to voice its displeasure with the current restrictions.
The owners stressed staying closed is putting them closer to being out of business and even threatened to reopen during the lockdown.
They also stated they weren’t eligible for a number of the government aid programs.
When asked by CKDR News in an exclusive interview with Doug Ford if more help is coming for small businesses, the Premier responded by saying, “There will be support and there is support right now.”
Ford added, “We are going to continue supporting the small businesses right across the province.”
To hear the full interview with Northwest Goods owner Danielle Scherban, visit the Audio link below:
You can also find out more about her business by visiting www.northwestgoods.ca or visiting https://www.facebook.com/nw.goods
Here is the full letter sent to various organizations, health officials and government officials including Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford:
My name is Danielle Scherban and I am the owner of Northwest Goods, a new retail store in Dryden, Ontario. I opened my store in October 2020 with full knowledge that the possibility of another lockdown could be in our future.
When Ontario went into lockdown on December 26, I wasn’t too concerned as I was planning on closing my store until January 12 to regroup and prepare for the new year. However, when the lockdown was extended and then furthered into a stay at home order I grew more concerned.
The Dryden/Red Lake region has been fortunate to be on the lower side of Covid cases in our area, and in the last week or so the cases in the Northwest Region have decreased significantly. This leaves many ‘non-essential’ businesses in our area wondering why we must still comply with the stay at home order imposed on the entire province when our area is drastically different from the other part of Ontario.
As a small business owner it is frustrating to see huge line ups at Walmart with very few restrictions. How is it fair that I can join hundreds of others in large retailers and buy any non-essential item, but I can’t have one customer come into my store (where I sell essential items such as shampoo, toothpaste, hand soap, laundry detergent, cleaning products, etc.)? I’m urging you to push for new guidelines in our area — whether it be allowing customers to shop by appointment or restricting the number of people in the store at one time. In my opinion, it is easier for the small businesses to ensure proper sanitizing when we are able to provide one on one service and personally tell customers about sanitizing and shopping procedures in place.
After speaking with a staff member in Greg Rickford’s Dryden office, I was asked to email my suggestions on how to safely open small businesses during a lockdown, and to put into point form the concerns I have. Please read the following:
Points to consider:
-Big box and discount retailers may operate with little to no restrictions (only restrictions are on capacity)
This means they may sell essential and non essential items with no consequences.
-Small retailers who wish to pivot to selling ‘essential’ grocery/food items are restricted to ONLY selling those items, even if they have non essential items for sale in the store as well.
Consequences of this include fines and store closures.
-Big box and discount retailers now have even more of an advantage over the small businesses as customers are allowed to freely shop in person.
-Small businesses are now forced to come up with new ways to sell their products. This involves extra work, mind power, creativity, social media posts, creating website content, etc. in the hopes it will generate more sales.
In my opinion and experience, this can lead small business owners to burnout, defeat, and hopelessness. What is the point in operating a bricks and mortar business if people cannot enter. The consequence of this is small business closures — whether it be because of financial reasons or personal reasons. What’s left in the end are big box and discount retailers because they faced little to no restrictions and continued to operate as normal.
-Essential businesses such as mills and mines continue to operate. These workplaces are allowed to bring in workers from all over Canada with no quarantine required. These workers are interacting with local workers and shopping in our essential businesses. Is this not a sure way for COVID to spread?
-Doug Ford seems to agree that we in Northwestern Ontario SHOULD NOT be lumped in with the rest of the province. So why have we been under the same restrictions since December 26? What has been done to change or remedy this? How can we be sure that going forward we will NOT be dealt with on a province wide level?
-Small businesses are the heart of small communities, especially here in Northwestern Ontario where we are very much isolated from larger centres. Doug Ford specifically mentioned the fact that it is difficult to find people to work jobs in this area as more and more large companies begin businesses here. If we are to appeal to newcomers, are small, unique businesses not a factor here?
-As a small business owner and citizen of Ontario, I found it extremely difficult to get answers to these and other questions. I have spoken to the Northwest Health Unit, a health inspector, and a representative at Greg Rickford’s office. The answers I’m getting in return and documents I was forwarded do not give clarity to the restrictions that were put in place.
-This is not about relief or financial aid. It is about building a business that can provide for my future and improve quality of life in my community. Relief and financial aid does not allow our businesses to prosper. It provides us with just enough to get by (if that) and does not provide us with an opportunity to grow and provide for our own future
Suggestions for keeping our small businesses open during lockdowns:
-Allow shopping by appointment only (allow one household at a time for example)
-Restrict the total number of customers allowed in the store per day
-Record all contact information upon entry to ensure proper contact tracing is done if a positive COVID case enters the store.
-Follow all measures that were previously put in place when we were allowed to open pre lockdown.
Going forward, I will be urging other small business owners and community members to voice their concerns, I hope you sincerely listen and take action.
Thank you for your time,
Danielle Scherban
Owner, Northwest Goods
Dryden, Ontario
