Small businesses irked by COVID fines but city says rules are rules

The city says it's seeing an uptick in businesses not complying with COVID rules.

The businesses say the city's unfairly taking them to task.

The city's website shows bylaw officers handed out 18 fines to five businesses last week, with two businesses nabbing five fines each, totalling thousands of dollars.

One was James Street North bar Farside. Co-owner Rachel Conduit called the fines disheartening."

Officers issued four fines to the bar on Friday for exceeding capacity limits and failing to post the required mask-mandate signs at its entrance. One more charge was issued Sunday for again failing to post the signs.

Conduit told The Spectator staff removed the sign for cleaning and forgot to put it back up. As soon as inspectors pointed out it was missing, staff put it back up, she said.

We strictly enforce the mask mandate, so it was disheartening to receive such a hefty fine instead of guidance or understanding from the officers," she said.

At a COVID news conference Monday, Jason Thorne, director of the city's pandemic response, said bylaw officers have noticed a small uptick" in businesses not complying with COVID laws in recent weeks.

Part of the reason could be that businesses don't realize strict rules are still in place and that they're being enforced.

I know businesses are struggling, they're starting to get busier, they have a lot of things to worry about," said Thorne. But the rules are the rules and they must be followed, he said.

Thorne also addressed allegations that circulated online over the weekend that bylaw enforcement at a Hamilton restaurant was racially motivated." He said the city has reached out to the business to discuss the matter. The city takes such allegations very seriously" and that public safety is bylaw's primary goal" he said.

The other business that received five fines was Pierik's Cycle on King Street West. Owner Lou Vasso said he called the cops on bylaw officers when they came to inspect his business on Wednesday. The officers were in the way of customers and obstructing his ability to do business, he said.

Vasso said bylaw officers initially told him he was being issued a caution, but when he called the cops, it became $4,000 in fines. The Spectator reached out to the city and police late Monday to confirm this account but did not receive confirmation by deadline.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com