Businesses bank on Stage 3 announcement today for Windsor-Essex

People who own restaurants, bars, movie theatres and gyms are hoping to hear Windsor-Essex will be moving to Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan today.

"We've been waiting a long time. The fitness industry has been patiently waiting and accommodating our members as best we can. But we are eager to get back in the game," said Sawyer Telegdy, who owns the Shred Shop Wellness Centre on Erie Street E.

Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce today if the three remaining regions can move to Stage 3. That includes Windsor-Essex.

Michael Ciliberto, owner of the La Guardia Italian restaurant on Pitt Street, opened a patio on Windsor's first parklet, but he can only serve about two dozen people at a time.

• Much of Ontario enters Stage 3 of COVID-19 reopening plan July 17

"It's gonna be hard you know to survive with that because it's not enough. It's not generating enough volume, enough business," said Ciliberto, who normally has a staff of 18 but is currently only employing six.

The chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA says restaurants that don't have patio space have been able to serve during street closures but those are only on weekends. The BIA has been helping those businesses get creative. 

"They've been doing things online. We've been working with them by doing crowd funding to keep funds going for those businesses," said Brian Yeomans.

Yeomans is also hoping as more people get back to the office downtown, it will increase foot traffic at the establishments, and says he is "cautiously anxious" to get back to normal. He doesn't want to see more community spread.

Richard Cheng, the general manager of the Planet Fitness on Walker Road, says if he has to remain closed much past August he's not sure if the facility will open again.

"I get a lot of calls from customers because you know obviously the gym itself is not just physical health but it's also mental health," said Cheng.

He says 13 employees are laid off at his facility and 16 are laid off at the Planet Fitness on Enterprise Way.

Even when they reopen, Cheng says Planet Fitness will not hold some exercise programs.

In addition to Windsor-Essex, Toronto and Peel remain at Stage 2.