Saskatoon businesses enacting their own pandemic policies

At least two Saskatoon businesses aren’t waiting for the province to increase safety measures.

The Broadway Theatre and 9 Mile Legacy Brewing Co. are enacting protocols of their own, citing a “dramatic” increase in COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks.

As of Monday, the theatre reduced capacity from its allowable limit of 110 people down to 30 people.

“The rules are the rules and we’ll follow them, however, if we think we can do more and should do more maybe that’s what we should do,” Broadway Theatre Executive Director Kirby Wirchenko said.

Discussions started last week at The Broadway Theatre about increasing safety measures as active cases jumped from 342 on Oct. 18 to 2,055 by Nov. 17, representing more than a 500 per cent jump in cases.

With Premier Scott Moe often citing business and economy for his reluctance to introduce new COVID-19 measures, Wirchenko and the board of directors weren’t going to wait for the government lead to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, just like they didn’t wait when they made masks mandatory in the summer.

“If leadership doesn’t take a leading role, if leaders don’t take on mask-wearing early, then it kind of takes longer than it should for us as a society to do the right thing and take care of each other,” Wirchenko said.

Wirchenko said the theatre isn’t trying to create controversy or be heroic, but watching measures announced in the same newscasts as increasing daily COVID-19 cases helped the theatre realize some cancellations or postponements now could help bring more bookings if active cases decrease.

“I’d like to believe that what we’re doing is short-term pain for long-term gain, for us and for everybody,” Wirchenko said. “Trust me, I want the Broadway to be busy again.”

Nine Mile Legacy Brewing in Saskatoon took to social media Tuesday to express how it feels about the lower gathering limit not applying to bars and restaurants.

Part of the new public health order is a bit of a head scratcher.

You can only have 5 people in a private home but 6 people can sit at a table in the taproom?

We are going to observe the spirit of the new rules – going forward, only 5 to a table. pic.twitter.com/ZyHgAfaE8q

— 9 Mile Legacy Brewing (@9MileLegacy) November 17, 2020

Co-founder and CEO, Shawn Moen said while they can legally seat six people to a table in their taproom, they have chosen to embrace the new rules by limiting five people per table.

“Essentially replicate the restriction in the houses. We all need to work at getting this under control so not only can we stay healthy, we can stay economically viable.”

Moen said he recognizes the difficult job our provincial leaders have balancing the economy while keeping the public safe.

However, he notes clarity and consistency is lacking with some of the health orders and he would like to see more forward planning.

“I would also like to know where we are going and I think a lot of people are ringing that bell,” he said.

“I appreciate it’s a moving target, but people need to plan. People are feeling very anxious. We’re well equipped to take in information and make decisions.”

–With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker