Small businesses welcome full capacity, others feel left out

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He’s usually dancing up a storm instructing salsa classes, but there have been moments when Aleksander Saiyan thought his business was just two steps from collapse due to capacity limits.

On Monday, those limits are not changing for him.

“For a year and a half it’s been like standing at the edge of a cliff,” said Saiyan, director of operations at Toronto Dance Salsa. “I would have nightmares. I couldn’t fall asleep. I would be stressed.”

That nightmare and stress will continue until at least Nov. 15 when his business will be allowed to operate at full capacity, unlike restaurants and gyms which are facing Monday with renewed hope.

As a dance studio with students, Saiyan’s business falls somewhere between a gym and a nightclub, according to provincial rules.

Each week without full classes is painful.

“We probably had about 31% of what we would normally have at this time. But we still have to pay the same rent. Our costs stay the same but our revenue is still nowhere near where we can recover and not be worried that we are at the edge of a cliff,” Saiyan said before running a Sunday lesson.

Ontario has opened the door to restaurants, gyms, and personal care services running at full capacity.

The move is being welcomed with open arms by the dining and hospitality industries.

But Restaurants Canada is pressing for the government to provide support to offset the additional cost of implementing the vaccine passport system.

The lobby group said 60% of its members reported a drop in revenue as a direct result of proof of vaccination requirements because of costs incurred from having to enforce the rules.

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The government’s overall plan to open up further — through winter and spring — is slated for several stages.

The Doug Ford plan would do away with the vaccine certificate requirement by the middle of January.

By March 28, 2022, the government hopes to do away with all restrictions including mask mandates.

The premier stressed Friday the roll-out depends on continued improvement in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Before getting tripped up by the pandemic, Saiyan’s dance classes would welcome up to 48 students, several times a day, six days a week.

Sunday afternoon he was down to just 22.

“Eighty percent of people in Toronto — if they have started dance — they’ve gone through our school,” he said. “Going from the largest to zero, to kind of opening but not really open, has been frustrating.”