Winter storm takes the wind out of New Brunswick’s change to Level 2 of COVID-19 Winter Plan
An early lifting of some COVID-19 restrictions won’t amount to much for several New Brunswick businesses, due to an incoming winter storm.
The significant weather system is arriving on the heels of Level 3 restrictions being lifted under the province’s COVID-19 Winter Plan.
For two weeks, spas, salons, and gyms in the province were forced to close, while restaurants were prevented from allowing people to dine-in.
Kristen Clark, co-owner of a salon and spa in Fredericton, will stick to her businesses’ original re-opening plan.
“With the storm it’s just not worth the risk, so we’re going to keep it for Monday,” said Clark.
The Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John, N.B., will also remain closed this weekend.
Jenna Santurnino, a spokesperson for the facility, said uncertainty about public transit was the primary reason. The facility has a policy to automatically close whenever public transit is cancelled due to weather.
“So it was just in the best interest, to just wait until Monday when all of our staff is back as we planned,” said Santurnino.
Saint John Transit confirmed Friday afternoon that no public transit would run Saturday due to the weather.
“Transit services will resume as normal on Sunday, Jan. 30 unless otherwise notified,” said the city in a written statement.
Mike Babineau, who owns five restaurants and employs about 145 people, said most of his locations he owns in Fredericton will be open this weekend for dine-in service at 50 per cent capacity, which is permitted under Level 2.
Babineau said he’s uncertain what the immediate demand will be, not only due to weather but because of “mixed messaging” from the provincial government.
“We really need the government to say, ‘Look, get out and support your local businesses,’” said Babineau.
On Thursday, the provincial government announced an ease of COVID-19 measures two days ahead of schedule.
“This does not mean we expect only smooth sailing ahead,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, on Thursday. “We are still in the midst of a storm that will last another two weeks at least.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.