If you’ve driven down Richmond Road, you’ve certainly noticed the maze of construction equipment that makes it difficult to get around. With structural work complete on the installation of light rail tunnels underground, work has shifted to street level to rebuild Byron Linear Park.
But it’s been a tough few years for businesses along the strip. First they endeared the COVID-19 pandemic, then the loss of customers due to the light rail work. Signs were installed to make entrances more visible, but merchants say it provided little relief.
Neighbourhood staple Lorenzo’s Bar & Grill was hoping business would improve, but it was forced to close just before Christmas. Owner Gillian Danby said they saw a 75 per cent reduction in clientele and are now looking to move to a new location on Greenbank Road.
“Before all this happened, I had to turn people out the door on Friday, Saturday, because I was so busy,” Danby told the Kitchissippi Times. “Now it’s empty.”
Danby said she expected more understanding from the Mayor, given his background as a former business owner. However, when she approached his assistant for help with business taxes and rent, her requests were met with indifference.
“I asked him for catering jobs since there are many opportunities in government. He promised to look into it, but nothing came of it,” she said. “They just talk, but they don’t do anything.”
As her business awaits clarity on a new lease, Danby feels trapped in a situation beyond her control. “We’re waiting to hear back from the property owner. Until we get that lease signed, our hands are tied.”
The lack of support from city officials has led Danby to consider reaching out to the Premier for assistance. “The city forced us to shut down. It wasn’t our choice,” she added.
She is now worried about other local business owners, like her neighbor Alaa Kiki, who may also be forced to close due to mounting pressures.
“We were crazy busy here,” said Kiki, the owner of Kiki’s Barbershop. He launched his business in 2024, only three months before construction began on a two-kilometre section of the LRT line.
“I was shocked when I found out the construction was starting,” Kiki said. ”I slept one night and woke up to find the work underway.”
Having immigrated from Syria to Canada in search of a better life, Kiki borrowed $150,000 to start his barbershop.
“I promised these people I would pay them back after a year, but now that year is over, and I don’t have the money,” said Kiki.
Initially employing three people, he has had to let them go one by one as financial strain mounted.
“Now, it’s just me and my son, but he has school and can’t be here all the time,” he said.
Giving up is not an option for Kiki. He works seven days a week, putting in 14-hour days without a break.
“My family doctor advised me to stop working and get some rest, but I will keep fighting until I collapse,” said Kiki.
Just next door, Maggie Freitas, the owner of “Flowers by Maggie,” says she is tired of talking while nothing has changed.
Despite promises from the City of Ottawa to promote local businesses during the construction, Freitas feels let down.
“The signs they provided are too small and not visible enough,” she said. “I read in other newspapers that they’re updating locations on Google Maps, but a 75 or 85-year-old person doesn’t know how to use it. This is unfair. Even an Uber driver gets lost three times trying to find us.”
Maggie’s shop name is not even included on the city’s signage, which has further complicated matters. With a significant portion of Richmond’s clientele being seniors, the construction has made access increasingly difficult for them.
Kiki is now calling on the city for support, asking for larger advertising signs and assistance with rent and taxes.
“We are human beings. All we want is for someone to listen to us and help us through this crisis,” said Kiki.