Ottawa waiving patio fees to help struggling businesses

The City of Ottawa will waive some patio fees to help restaurants reopen their outdoor spaces with more room between tables so customers can dine and drink while keeping their distance.

"We think it's a significant way that we with limited resources can help the restaurant industry," said Mayor Jim Watson, as council approved his motion unanimously Wednesday.

"I think we're going tolose some of our restaurants some of the long-standing ones, even because they've been out of business and out of revenue for literally 10 weeks now."

The city typically charges $14.15 per square metre per monthfrom April to October, and $4.55 the other five months of the year.

As well, applications for new patios within 90 metres of residential properties will cost $340 instead of $567, and the city is working on speeding up public consultations.

It all hinges on the province allowing patios to reopen, Watson said.

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Council also called on staff to deliver a plan at the June 3transportation committee meeting forexpanding patios on both private and public property.

That could involve taking over some parking spaces, said Steve Willis, the city's general manager of planning.

Kingston, Ont., is closing sections of four downtown streets to vehicles starting June 22, and allowing businesses to take over adjacent parking spaces for patios, lineups or other purposes.

Other cities, such as EdmontonandWindsor,have already decided to waive their patio fees.

Last week at Queen's Park, Progressive Conservative MPP Gila Martowproposed exploringways to allow restaurants to use parking lots and street spacesfor seating.

Restaurant industry applauds decision

"Operating at a reduced capacity [when] margins are so slim to begin with, [it's]going to be very difficult to make ends meet," saidSarah Chown, Ottawa chair for the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association.

"So any extra room we can get is something we're definitely looking for."

The City of Ottawa released some stark statistics Wednesday to illustrate the severity of the financial hit on local businesses during the pandemic.

Local eateries, hotelsand entertainment venuesshed 25,522 jobs by mid-April, Willis told councillors.

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Statistics compiled for the city by consulting firm EY Canada also showthe local retail sector hadlost 27,000 jobs by mid-April.

"The downturn is going to hurt some of the lowest-income earnersand those in precarious employmentmost," Willis said, noting there's been a dramaticjump in unemployment amongwomen and youth during the pandemic.

The city is now planning a second "buy local" promotional campaign, while also developing waysto streamline permits and other city processes such as permits for the hardest-hit sectors.

Willis also said the city is trying to identify other ways to stimulate the economy, including coming up withprojects so that when the province and federal governments announce infrastructure stimulus funding, tOttawa will be ready to apply.