Restrictions relaxation brings celebration in some industries while leaving others left out

Since getting the green light, her eleven staff at her salon have been busy with rescheduling appointments and booking people in for services.

“It’s been really busy. The phones we have just now forwarded. Everyone’s got a phone line to their own cell phone and we are booking appointments at home,” she said.

While the beauty industry is celebrating a victory following many pleas to the province, revenues will be down for many, largely because certain industries like weddings and travel are still restricted.

“I do spray tans and teeth whitening so most people get that done for a trip a holiday or an event, concert ,wedding. So even with being open I’m still going to be slow, but I definitely do miss my clients,” said Ashley Moser of Organic Tan Medicine Hat.

While the announcement Thursday left some industries like salons celebrating and feeling relief, it has left other industries such as fitness feeling left out.

On Friday, dance studio owners and teachers came together, each with a common desire to get back into the studio.

“I feel like our industry, dance, gyms, have been kind of forgotten and pushed aside. I don’t think the government, and a lot of people across the province understand that our industry is a business and not just an activity. Being forced to close consistently over the past year so we are going on six and a half months locally that we have been closed, is difficult, its frustrating, you know there’s not a lot we can do about it,” said LimeLitz Dance Academy owner Jerredi Hauck.

They have tried to pivot with virtual classes, but they say it pales in comparison to face-to -face classes with their students.

“We are starting to see a lot of frustration with our students. They don’t have the ballet bars at home, they don’t have their Acro mats at home, they don’t have the space to be able to execute movements appropriately,” said Stephanie Gronning, owner of Infinity Dance.

Competitions and recitals are up in the air due to the shutdowns., but for the teachers and studio owners their greatest concern is their students and their well-being.

“ In the last week and a half since the government kind of extended the closure. I’ve had multiple emails from parents that had their children in dance classes, and the emails from parents are not negative, they are very supportive. Our dance families have been wonderful and accepting of all of our transitions, but what their emails are stating is that their children are suffering,” said Hauck.

“These are kids that are now suffering from anxiety and depression. They are kids that are having migraines daily. They can’t come onto Zoom because it is too difficult for them,” she added.

The difficulty of the shutdowns on their students is why these teachers are pushing the province to reopen so they could get back teaching the students they care so much about.

“I could get emotional about it. I just miss them so much. They just brighten my day, every day,” said Dance Teacher Marnie Zeller of the Medicine Hat School of Performing Arts.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Restrictions relaxation brings celebration in some industries while leaving others left out

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