Business owners in downtown St. Thomas respond to planned anti-lockdown rally

Business owners in downtown St. Thomas will be shuttering their shops during the daySaturday after talk about a plannedanti-lockdown rally.

The planned closurecomes a week after about 2,000 peoplemarched throughAylmer, Ont., to protest the current public health measures, including mask wearing and physical distancing.

But this time, residents in St. Thomas decided if they are closing their doors to the public during the day, they will open their doors once the protest ends for a moonlight masquerade.

Earl Taylor, the chair of the St. Thomas Downtown Development Board, saidshop owners in the city threw together this late-night event very quickly after hearing about the protest.

"We were thrown a curveball," Taylor told CBC's London Morning. "So we're reacting positively."

Merchants who are closing during the day will be opening their doors to shoppers between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. that day.

He told CBC London residents are encouraged to bring out their Mardi Gras masks and come out to enjoy the evening.

The idea, Taylor said, was to turn the residents' attention from the plannedrally to something that can get the community together in a safe way while also support the owners of small businesses who usually close early on Saturday.

It was also to help businesses who have been struggling during the pandemic.

"These businesses have gone through a tough time and we were hard hit by the COVID-19 restrictions," Taylor said."But many have come back while they've all come back fighting and implemented the COVID-19 guidelines ... so they're going to do the best they can on Saturday night instead of being open during the day on Saturday."

"We're just calling it moonlight madness just to have a bit of fun, to reignite some excitement in our downtown."

Taylor said not all small downtown businesseswill be able to participate as some cannot afford to stay open but the ones who are taking part are offering in-store prizes and ways to engage the community.

"We're hoping if the customers and shoppers can't come out during the day then let's come out at night."

Stores are going to offer some sort of "in-store prize," and $250 will be given away in "downtown dollar" increments to those who come out andpost their photos on social media.