A sense of relief is brewing for many shopkeepers after a main thoroughfare in Halifax reopened on Friday after major construction.
In April, Dutch Village Road was shut down as the Municipality launched a major overhaul to create new sidewalks, biking lanes and accessible bus stops.
That prompted months of restricted road use, which saw local businesses see a dramatic drop in their sales.
Hello Pets was one of those Fairview businesses impacted almost immediately after the roadworks began.
“When the construction started, that’s when we started to see a big drop in our sales,” says co-owner Mohammad Ashiq. “Our foot traffic (cut) almost in half from the previous month.”
Ashiq adds he does wish the city had done more to mitigate the disruption to local businesses, noting his business got by mainly through support from community members and fellow businesses as well as by offering free home delivery to customers during the construction.
With Dutch Village Road now reopened to traffic, he realizes a return to normal may take a while but Ashiq is hopeful business returns to the area sooner than later.
“With the new sidewalk and proper bike lanes, I feel like more people will feel comfortable using Dutch Village Road,” he says. “We’re hopeful and we’re excited to see more people using Dutch Village Road and the effects on the businesses.”