Sense of excitement and anxiety as select N.L. businesses reopen

As Newfoundland and Labrador moves to Alert Level 4 in life with COVID-19, select businesses across the province are champing at the bit to open their doors to the public.

Beginning Monday, low-risk non-essential businesses such as law firms and garden centres are allowed to reopen with restrictions.

Pat Puddester, owner of Pat's Plants and Gardens in Bay Bulls, said she is looking forward to reopening following a long winter and extended delays due to the pandemic.

"I'm just so excited," Puddester toldThe St. John's Morning Show. "I can't wait to see my customers. That's the best part of all of this."

Puddester said she and her staff will be following "every rule in the book" when it comes to reopening the garden centre, and hopes other gardens and greenhouses will do the same.

"We've got a month to prove that we can open for the rest of the season," she said. "If cases go up, we will be shut down again. And that's nerve-racking."

While the garden isn't fully stocked yet, Puddestersays time in the garden can have its benefits in stressful times.

"I think this is going to bring people back to the garden," she said. "[People]realize how important it is, just for your daily stressors, to get out in the garden. 'Cause when you're out in the garden, you forget everything else, right?"

Meanwhile, the phone has been ringing off the hook at Beautiful Flowers Nursery in Bishop's Falls, according to owner Marie Seaward, who was able to open for business Monday for the first time this season.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and a lot of people have been waiting for it," she said.

"It's amazing, I have to say. A lot of customers are saying, 'We're so excited, we can't wait to get there, and get our flowers, we need to get a fix.' So this is what's happening today."

Her partner, David Seaward, said the business had committed a lot of time and a lot of seeds to this season, in the hopes that they would eventuallyget to open their business.

He said opening day has been a relief, and he anticipatesa busy year.

"You can't travel, you can't go camping, so they're going to stay home and do some gardening, so that's probably going to be good for us," he said, laughing.

"Everybody, deep down inside, likes flowers. Even though a lot of the men won't admit it. But they do like them when they're, you know, in bloom."

Golfing, hunting, angling to resume

Low-risk outdoor recreational activities can also resume operations on Monday, including hunting, angling and golfing. Jackie Northcott, general manager of Glendenning Golf in St. John's and the Willows golf course in Holyrood, said getting thecourse ready for the season is alwaysfun.

"It kind of marks the beginning of the season every year for us, so we're excited."

Northcott said the golf course is opening with a number of restrictions in place to promote physical distancing and limit the spread of the virus. Restrictions include having no more than one foursome on a tee box at a time, removing touch points such as ball washers, raising the golf cup so the flag does not need to be touched, and asking patrons to leave the facility immediately following a round.

Golf carts are also limited to a single rider per cart, unless the person you are riding with is part of your household bubble.

Northcott said the sport allows people ofall ages to be able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, including older populations who might be at a higher risk doing other activities.

"Golf is inherently conducive to social distancing," she said. "You can go out with four people and easily keep your two metresdistance, which is basically the most important thing. And because you're outside in the fresh air, it's probably one of the safest activities that you can partake in right now and be social."

"Anything that we can do to create that sense of normalcy, it's a great thing," Northcottadded.

"Just for the fresh air, and seeing people that you know and doing something fun with your family the little things that we can do create that sense of normalcy and to go back to a time before COVID, it's a welcomething."

The latest changeswon't mean any change for parks in Corner Brook.The city left its entire trail network open throughout the pandemic, and has seen compliance when monitoring the trails.

The Corner Brook Stream Trail network, located in the heart of the city, continues to be a haven for walkers.

"I've been walking this every day. It's all I've got left," said residentJim Drover. "I used to swim and all that. But you can't swim, you can't do nothing this is it."

Drover walks the trail daily and says he other walkers have gotten used to physical distancing while on the trail.

"People are still keeping their distance," he said. "If you meet somebody on the trail, they will go to one side and you go to the other. That's still being done and I don't see any difference in that so that's good."

Non-essential ferry travel resumes

Labrador Marine announced Monday the ferry service is easing restrictions on non-essential travel on the Strait of Belle Isle.

Although non-essential travel is now allowed on the Qajaq W, passage is restricted to passengers with reservations. Travellers are encouraged to wear a non-medical mask or face cover, and will remain in their vehicles during crossings.

Travellers without vehicleswill be escorted to a defined area on the ship. Passengers who need to use the washroom will also be escorted by a crew member.

The Qajaq W will remain on its winter schedule, departing fromBlanc-Sablon, Que.,at 8 a.m. and from St. Barbe, N.L., at 10:30 a.m.

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