The Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) was lifted as the clock struck midnight Feb. 9 following Premier Jason Kenney’s announcement to end the proof-of-vaccination requirement, a decision that offered a sigh of relief to several Ponoka businesses.
Around five percent of the approximately 180 Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce members were severely affected by the REP, with local restaurants and the movie theatre being the hardest hit, said chamber executive manager Heather Bendera. She added some Ponoka Chamber members also reached out with concerns about staying afloat.
Now that the REP is lifted, businesses are seeing an increase in patrons, said Bendera.
“The REP put businesses in a bad spot. They either had to shut down or implement the REP. Many people who were not in favour of the REP blamed the businesses. Since lifting, many have seen return of their customers.”
The Raspberry Patch chose to not partake in the REP and had to close the dine-in portion of the business as a result.
“I didn’t want to be put in a position of having to ask everybody for their private information,” said owner Sharon Weibel.
“It hurt us bad because I refused to partake in it. So, that limited a good portion of our business although a good portion of our business has also been take-away right from the beginning. We did see a drop for sure,” she added.
Weibel said the REP costed them about 60 per cent to 70 per cent of their typical business operations.
“We have been limping along for a long time and I’m not out of the woods yet.”
Busted Ladies Lingerie is another Ponoka business that refused to opt for the REP.
“It never should have been put into place. It’s discriminatory. It’s asking us to give our personal medical information. It’s against the personal information privacy act for the province of Alberta, it’s against the constitutional rights of Canadians; it never should have been implemented,” said business owner Sherry Gummow.
While removal of the REP is allowing more people to access businesses, the constant “back and forth” of COVID restrictions have affected Gummow’s business capacity.
“My goal is to survive and thrive. I was not under REP. I will never ask anybody for their personal medical information,” she said.
With majority of the income based on sales of concessions and given the requirement to adopt REP to offer concessions at the time, the only feasible option for Ponoka Capitol Theatre to stay open was to adopt the REP, said co-owner Rizwan Syed. A major portion of the proceeds from ticket sales goes towards payment to various film production and distribution companies, explained Syed.
“It was the right move by Alberta Heath and the government to revoke the REP and I believe it is especially very good for the small businesses and I think that it is good for the community and our social values.”
Since removal of the REP, Syed said the theatre has seen an approximate increase of 50 per cent in the number of patrons coming in.
Even though the REP is not in the way anymore, Weibel thinks there could be other factors keeping people from visiting businesses.
“There are still a lot of people that are afraid of COVID and I think just the economics of the day that people just don’t have the money,” said Weibel.
“Everything is so expensive, we’ve had to raise our prices and I need to again because the cost of living has become so high that the disposable income for people to be able to go out for dinner, out for lunch or whatever, it just isn’t there. So, it’s a big circle.”
Weibel looks forward to a busy summer with people keen on family reunions, weddings, and other celebrations after a long time of being burdened with restrictions.
The Longhorn Saloon and Grill chose to partake in the REP and has witnessed a substantial increase in revenue since the program was lifted, according to server Brandy Duncan.
“I am looking forward to work and seeing everyone’s faces again,” said Duncan. “Sales are up, more people are in — it’s just a lot happier atmosphere.”
