OTTAWA – Local business owners in downtown Ottawa, who have relied on the flow of federal government employees for years, find themselves planning for a future without them.
Ninety percent of Ottawa residents have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, stadiums are packed, restaurants are open to capacity, but in downtown Ottawa, many offices remain empty as the city’s largest workforce still works remotely.
Lunchtime was when Amir Rahid and the staff at Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse prepared for the rush of thousands of federal officials coming out of nearby office towers in search of a snack or a meal.
It was then.
“I think it’s more important to look at what we’re dealing with here and now,” says Rahid. “Last year we worked pretty hard on our new model which is more parties, nights, a cool barbecue menu, a lively bar scene, stuff like that.”
Lately, Rahim notices more people in the area. Some of its regular customers have returned, but in a hybrid model.
“They set aside space to come to work and colleagues log in at the same time and designate a day to come to work and make it an event,” he says. “So they’re going to come over for coffee, to go to work, and maybe happy hour stuff, and I see a little more of that happening on a regular basis.”
According to the Treasury Board of Canada, the federal government employs more than 120,000 people in the Ottawa area and occupies 40 percent of the city’s office space.
Mayor calls for back-to-work plan
While some businesses have been able to pivot, many others are suffering and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says it’s imperative to have employees downtown.
“We know the federal public service helps keep these small businesses running, whether it’s a dry cleaner, a restaurant, or a shoe repair shop, and the sooner we get federal employees back, the better.” it will be for the local economy of the city center. and all over Ottawa, ”says Watson. “We’ve already seen some of our employees come back to the local level and now we want to see the same happen with the federal government. They’ve been very good partners with us, provided us with funding, and that’s another request we make of the federal government and really any employer.
City councilors, meanwhile, will continue to meet virtually. Watson says the city clerk recommended not making any changes until January.
“We want to be able to go back to a system where anyone who wants to come to a meeting, including the media, has the right to do so, but at the moment we are limited to the number of people.”
No clear timeline has been given as to when federal employees will return to the office. For Rahid, if they come back, it will be a bonus, but never his bread and butter again.
“Hope is a good thing, but you can invest it in all kinds of different places,” says Rahid. “The things of the past are further in the rear view mirror for me. It’s still there, and there’s a little scar but, at the same time, if we focus on what we’re doing now that seems to be paying off, it should pay off in the long run.
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