Prior to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ arrival, it was communicated to citizens and businesses to anticipate disruption of activity and obstructed vehicular access to and within the downtown core for the course of the weekend, beginning as early as Thursday January 27.
Throughout the weekend, and until today (edit: original date of post Wednesday February 2), the convoy of trucks and others who have joined them have been protesting. The amount was certainly in the thousands at its highest.
On Monday January 31, Ottawa BIAs within the core distributed a survey to businesses to review and determine the impacts of this protest. Within 48 hours, over 200 businesses have filled out the survey. No business names were collected.
Business Improvement Areas Surveyed, downtown inner core: Sparks Street BIA, Bank Street BIA, Downtown Rideau BIA, ByWard Market BIA – see: RED Zone Business Improvement Areas micro-results at the end of post.
Business Improvement Areas Surveyed, downtown outer core: Somerset Village BIA, Somerset Chinatown BIA, Glebe BIA, Preston Street BIA, Wellington West BIA, Westboro BIA, Vanier BIA
Updated Results 9:00 p.m. Thursday January 10
1.Majority of respondents were retailers, restaurants, food retailers, and services based.
2. Just over half of the respondents stayed open the entire protest. 42.6% closed due to concerns or obstruction arising during the protest.
3. 76.2% of respondents lost revenue directly because of the protest. 21.7% were not impacted financially, good or bad.
4. 55.3% of respondents will not be able to recover or postpone the revenues lost during the protest.
5. The majority of respondent staff were impacted in either not working, working then being sent home, or feeling unsafe (and also sent home). 31.1% of respondent staff were not impacted by the protest.
6. 95% of respondents did not require police or by-law intervention
February 6: Ottawa Inner Core BIA Micro Results (up to February 4)
RED Zone Business Improvement Areas:
Bank Street BIA: 39 respondents
- 24/39 businesses surveyed closed prior or during the protest
- 38/39 businesses were negatively impacted financial by the protest
- 1/39 could reschedule appointments due to the protest
Downtown Rideau BIA: 32 respondents
- 27/32 businesses surveyed closed prior or during the protest
- 27/32 businesses were negatively impacted financial by the protest
- 20/32 businesses will not recover lost revenue, 4 say maybe, 5 say yes
Sparks Street BIA: 15 respondents
- 14/15 businesses surveyed closed prior or during the protest
- 14/15 businesses negatively impacted by the protest
- 14/15 cannot recover lost revenue
ByWard Market BIA: 28 respondents
- 19/28 businesses surveyed closed prior or during the protest
- 25/28 businesses were negatively impacted financial by the protest
- 23/28 cannot make up for the revenue lost, 1 maybe can, 1 can