May 19 was the date set by Premier Doug Ford for the start of Stage 1 of the reopening of Ontario’s economy.
Permitted to reopen were all construction sites, municipal sports facilities where social distancing is possible – such as tennis courts – and retail stores with a “street” entrance.
One of those stores given the green light to reopen was Pet Valu in Bradford.
The family-owned pet supply franchise did continue to operate during the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, as an essential service – providing pet supplies through curbside pick-up only. Customers could order online or by phone, and schedule a time to come by to pick up their orders.
May 19 was the first time in over a month that the owners could open their doors and welcome customers inside – to a different kind of shopping experience.
No more than four customers were allowed inside the doors at 442 Holland St. West at any one time, and each shopper was greeted with a squirt of hand sanitizer.
Customers were also asked to follow the yellow arrows – “The yellow brick road,” said Liz Pegg, co-owner. “We’ve been singing ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road' (from The Wizard of Oz) all day.” – to help maintain physical distancing.
Business was fairly quiet on the first day of regular shopping.
“It’s slow coming back. There’s a lot of nervousness – us included,” said Liz.
And although the doors are open, “we’re still doing curbside pick-up for those not comfortable with coming in,” added daughter Jennifer, as a way to reassure shoppers concerned about the potential spread of novel coronavirus as the economy reopens. .
All the same, despite the slow start and no surge in shoppers, the Peggs see signs of a future recovery.
“I think for a lot of people this gives hope that things might get better,” said Liz. “It just takes time.”
In fact, the closures haven’t been all negative, she said.
As a result of pandemic shutdowns, “this feels like when I was a kid,” she noted. “There was no fast food: fast food for us was leftovers. We didn’t go out to eat. There was no Sunday shopping, there was family time.”
It has been like a step back in time, and an opportunity to rediscover simpler values.
As the Peggs talked about the impact of COVID-19, a small but steady stream of customers came through the doors, picking up food and treats for their dogs and cats while still social distancing, and taking all safety precautions.
The future may be uncertain, but as Stage 1 of the provincial plan to reopen the economy comes into play, customers know that they are once again welcome to walk through the doors at Bradford's Pet Valu.
