Gatineau prepares for Ontario influx as malls, hair salons open Monday

Ringing off the hook.

That's how Maude Elysadescribes the business phone at Coiffure ModaElysain Gatineau, Que., ever since the Quebec government announced beauty salons would be included in the latest round of businesses to reopen Monday.

June 1 marks the next phase of Quebec's plan to reopen its economy, with the green light now given to private health-care services likedentists,physiotherapists and massage therapists, as well as personal-care services like hairdressers and barbers that operate outside the greater Montreal area and the Joliette, Que., region.

"I basically found out that we were reopening from our customers,"said Elysa, who's been returning calls some nights until as late as 9 o'clock.

I feel like Santa Claus.- Maude Elysa, owner of ModaElysa

"I feel like Santa Claus," she said, "They're like, 'Yay!' when I call back. They're so happy to talk to me."

Others, she added, sound a bit desperate.

"We are not essential, but we seem to be essential to some people's well-being," she said.

'Ontario plates in the parking lot'

ModaElysais locatedin Galeries Aylmer, a shopping mall in the Aylmer district that'salso allowed to reopen Monday.

• Quebec gives campgrounds green light to reopen Monday

• Hairdressers, other personal-care services to reopen in June but not in greater Montreal area

Earlier this week the province also earmarked June 1 for the opening ofmarinas,accommodations like Airbnb rentals and campgrounds outside Montreal.

The plan, however,is out of sync with Ontario's more conservative timeline, which has some Gatineaubusiness owners anticipating Ottawa residents will find the trip across the riverirresistible.

"Definitely we're going to have Ontario plates in the parking lot next week," said Guy Leblanc, the manager ofGaleries Aylmer. "So we're getting ready."

The trip to the mall, however, will be a bit different from before the pandemic, withno comfy benches or children's rides. Nor will there betables and chairs at the food court, said Leblanc, but there will belots of hand sanitizer stations "so people feel secure when they're inside."

Reopening plan 'not perfect'

The mall office of Pontiac MNA Andr Fortin isexpected to reopen Monday as well, something he said he's looking forward to.

While residents are anxious for signs the world is returning to normal, Fortin said having the Outaouais out of sync with eastern Ontario could present challenges, since the regions are so closely linked.

Fortin said it would have made sense to have had "more discussion" between governments on both sides of the river.

"It's not perfect. It'sgoing to lead to some issues of, maybe, people travelling back and forth more than they usually would. And that'ssomething that we should be trying to avoid," he said.

"From a public health standpoint, it does raise some questions."

In March, public health concern over traffic from Ottawa which has had many more COVID-19 cases led to checkpoints whereGatineau police stopped all but essential travellers from entering.

Those checkpoints were lifted earlier this month.

As of last week, theMRCde Pontiac didn't have a single active case of COVID-19.Fortin said he's hearing from constituents who have a mix of bothexcitement that things are reopening, andapprehension that the province may be moving too fast.

Elysa said that's how she's feeling:she's excited to see her customers again, butwould be devastated if a beauty salon customerfell ill.

Masks, face shields and apprehension

"Personally I would have preferred if hair salons waited a bit longer, because [of]all the measures we have to take and the fact that we're incredibly close to the customers," she said.

She said those "extreme measures" may make an appointment with the hair dresser may a bit like a visit to an alien planet.

"We have to wear masks, we have to wear face shields. How is it going to be cutting hair with face shields?"

Elysa said her salon is implementing a mandatory mask policy for customers as well.