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Downtown enterprise homeowners are respiration a collective sigh of aid following the federal authorities’s choice to order civil servants again to their desks for 2 or three days per week.

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“We had been pleased after we heard they’re coming again,” mentioned Emad Zein, proprietor of the three Brothers Shawarma and Poutine eating places on Rideau Avenue. “I used to be anticipating it a bit earlier, however that is higher than nothing.”

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Zein mentioned his enterprise declined as a lot as 35 to 40 per cent throughout the pandemic. “We’ve been struggling for the previous two years,” he mentioned. “We’re near a authorities constructing within the downtown core so we’ve been affected badly. We rely on the federal government.”

The restaurant used to obtain sizable lunchtime catering orders from authorities departments, Zein mentioned, however that line of enterprise has dried up.

Steve Chandler, common supervisor of Nate’s Deli on Sparks Avenue, mentioned enterprise has slowly however steadily improved since authorities staff began trickling again to the workplace earlier this yr. “I’m relying on folks coming again to work now as a result of I’ve no residential clientele,” Chandler mentioned Friday.

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Till now, he mentioned, most downtown eating places have merely tried to outlive by overlaying the price of hire, salaries and utilities. “It’s robust all the way in which round,” Chandler mentioned. “So with this information, we’re hopeful there are brighter skies forward.”

On Thursday, the Treasury Board Secretariat mentioned the return-to-the-office mandate will take impact Jan. 16, however civil servants have till till the top of March to totally comply.

Treasury Board president and Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier mentioned the transfer is designed to deliver “equity and fairness” to the federal office since some departments have their workers within the workplace usually, and others don’t. Some departments have additionally left it to particular person managers to resolve when workers can do business from home.

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Sueling Ching, president and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Commerce, welcomed the federal government’s transfer.

“We’re happy to see the federal government show the form of management they demonstrated when COVID first hit they usually informed everybody to go dwelling,” Ching mentioned Friday.

“That was the best factor to do on the time. However the best factor to do presently is to sign to our communities some confidence, to show an understanding that the federal government is an anchor employer in Ottawa.”

The federal public service has 273,000 workers, about 41 per cent of whom work within the Nationwide Capital Area.

Half of the employees in downtown Ottawa are public sector workers.

Ching was certainly one of 32 enterprise leaders who signed an open letter to Fortier in October, calling on the minister to ship public servants again to the workplace as rapidly as attainable.

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“I can’t say if the federal authorities has gone far sufficient, however to be trustworthy, I’m simply glad they’ve finished one thing,” she mentioned.

Kevin McHale, govt director of the Sparks Avenue Enterprise Enchancment Space, mentioned Friday he was happy to see the federal government take a step in the direction of normalcy. “It means our members can now make selections about their companies going ahead: The largest wrestle for the downtown space has been the uncertainty,” he mentioned.

Whereas most enterprise homeowners want to see public servants return 5 days per week, he mentioned, they perceive that’s unrealistic given the recognition of versatile work schedules.

McHale mentioned Sparks Avenue companies have suffered by means of the pandemic, the “Freedom Convoy” occupation and the following closure of Wellington Avenue to by means of visitors.

“It form of makes the downtown really feel closed: We’ve misplaced a number of that visitors up and down and thru,” he mentioned. “It’s having an impact on downtown as a result of that is the way in which downtown has flowed for many years.”