Pandemic-strapped downtown restaurants celebrate return of Jets hockey
Puck drop for the start of the Winnipeg Jets preseason at the Canada Life Centre isn't just exciting news for hockey fans but for restaurants in the downtown area too.
Across the street from Canada Life Centre, Browns Socialhouse is getting ready for its first Jets rush in almost two years.
Justin Guest, the restaurant's general manager, said events like Jets games feel like a return to normal.
"It's a big part of our atmosphere to really cater to this type of market, and these events, so we're really looking forward to it," Guest said.
COVID-19 has taken a toll on restaurants and bars in the downtown area, and Sunday's Jets game is the first game since March of 2020 that the general public can attend.
Guest said he's expecting a big turnout.
"We're going to see a few hundred today. I think it's a really exciting crowd who want to get out. We want to get as many as we can in here within limits as long as we can continue to be safe."
Jazlyn Hrem, a bartender at Browns Socialhouse, continued to work during the lockdowns but said it's hard to get by without people coming to dine in.
"[For] people working in the industry, of course, tips are a large part of what they look forward to every shift, so going without that is tough."
Hrem said Sunday's Jets game will be a boost for servers in the downtown area.
"You definitely look forward to all the events, whether it's Jets games, concerts, anything like that, so a big event downtown like this is super important."
The Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservice Association said COVID-19 has financially decimated downtown restaurants due to the lack of people in the area.
Shaun Jeffrey, the association's CEO, said Jets games returning to downtown and bringing thousands of people with it is a step towards recovery for restaurants in the area.
"It's definitely a win/win for everybody, and it's a good way to start to raise the spirits of those downtown operators and staff that have maybe missed out on Manitobans [not being] able to come downtown."
Jeffrey said that having a thriving downtown with events creates more active business in the area.
Guest believes the downtown restaurant industry is on the way to recovery.
"I am looking forward to seeing the heartbeat of downtown Winnipeg return. I believe it has to do with the return of the Winnipeg Jets first."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.