Ontario restaurant owner 'infuriated' after walking by busy bar at Toronto airport
The owner of an Ontario restaurant says he was "infuriated" when he saw more than 20 people eating at a bar in Toronto Pearson International Airport this week while indoor dining is banned for most of the province.
Adam Matthews, owner of 72 Bolton Sports Café in Bobcaygeon, Ont., said he was passing through the airport on Monday morning when he noticed people eating at Beerhive in Terminal 3.
He says he took a photo that shows more than 20 people sitting at the restaurant. Most people in the photo are not wearing a mask and there appears to be limited physical distancing and no plexiglass.
Restaurants in Ontario were ordered by the provincial government to close for indoor dining on Jan. 5 as COVID-19 cases hit record levels. Indoor dining will be allowed to resume on Jan. 31, with capacity limits in place.
During the closure, indoor dining at Toronto Pearson was never ordered to close.
"It's double standard," Matthews told CTV News Toronto. "It feels like anything the government controls, those businesses are wide open, while all us small businesses are at their mercy."
According to a spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), indoor dining is permitted post-security at 50 per cent capacity, with parties of up to 10 people permitted to sit together.
The GTAA said indoor dining at airport restaurants is only open to same-day travellers, and therefore all people are fully vaccinated. They said when sitting down at a restaurant, passengers and employees are only permitted to remove their masks when they are in the act of consuming food or a beverage.
Matthews said it was a "slap in the face" to walk by the bar and see no plexiglass set up between guests, especially since he was forced to spend money to install it at his restaurant.
"You walk into these airport bars and there is nothing," he said. "There is no plexiglass up, you just sit down and eat. It’s absolutely infuriating."
The GTAA spokesperson said regular audits are preformed on food and beverages locations within the airport to ensure they are complying with public health guidelines.
"GTAA has been in contact with OTG regarding this photo," a spokesperson said.
OTG is the company that manages the operation of restaurants and bars in many North American airports, including Toronto Pearson.
CTV News Toronto reached out to OTG for a statement but has not received a response.
"All my colleagues, they're all hurting because of indoor dining restrictions," Matthews said. "And then you walk into the airport and it feels like they're doing whatever they want."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
WATCH LIVE Toronto police to release updated list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
Toronto police and law enforcement partners will be releasing the BOLO program’s updated list of the top 25 most wanted fugitives in Canada at a news conference on Tuesday morning.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a ploy to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.