Malls reopen in greater Montreal area, Joliette after months of lockdown

Malls in the greater Montreal area and Joliette can reopen today, but shoppers will have to get used to new safety measures.

At Fairview Pointe-Claire shopping centre, one of about a dozen malls reopening in the greater Montreal area, one-way lanes are set up to direct foot traffic.

Every few feet, there are signs reminding shoppers to keep a safe distance from one another, and there are plenty of hand sanitizer stations as well.

And while the malls themselves will be open, shoppers won't be able to grab a meal — food courts will remain closed until Monday.

The malls could also draw people craving a respite from the intense heat and humidity expected in the next few days. 

Montreal is under a heat warning, and humidex values are expected to be near 40 today. 

Shopping centres were ordered closed by the Quebec government in March, and reopened elsewhere in the province June 1. 

Some retail stores in Montreal that have a separate outdoor entrance have been allowed to open since May 25.

Peter Grant, the owner of Ted's Hobby Shop in Plaza Pointe-Claire, and one of the merchants opening their doors today for the first time in months, says he is feeling optimistic.

"I'm hoping that with the reopening today, people will come out, say hi, spend some money and stay safe," Grant said in an interview on CBC Daybreak. 

Masks will be absolutely mandatory in the shop, Grant said, and he will be limiting the number of people who are in the store at one time, as per public health guidelines.

While many neighbouring businesses were able to open in May, Grant's store doesn't have a direct outdoor entrance.

In the meantime, he has been doing local deliveries, online sales, and curbside pickup —  but it still hasn't been enough. Reopening, he said, might help turn things around.

"I just hope that it's enough that we can start digging ourselves out of the financial hole that the last 85 days have put us in."