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CBC
17-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Overhaul of Halifax street comes at big cost to small businesses, says shop owner
The dust, debris and loud jackhammering that have become the new normal on Dutch Village Road in Halifax is costing small businesses in the neighbourhood, according to one store owner who has seen a dramatic drop in sales. Mohammad Ashiq, co-owner of Hello Pets, said financial support is needed to help businesses like his that are struggling because of the road construction project, which started in the spring and is expected to last until the end of the year. "What we're seeing is since April, our daily sales were starting to go down, and since July, that kind of was a bit more steep," Ashiq said in an interview. "We're seeing almost half of what we would normally see in a day." Ashiq said he's heard from several customers who've been avoiding the area — and his pet supplies shop — because it's too difficult to find parking with the ongoing construction. CBC News spoke with other businesses on the street that said they are also experiencing slumping sales. To encourage continued shopping, Ashiq is offering free delivery in Halifax and expanding his e-commerce platform. While it has helped the store keep afloat, Ashiq said he wishes more could be done from a government perspective. "A challenge like this scale is really difficult for us to navigate with the limited resources that we have," said Ashiq. "So any kind of support from the government would definitely be welcome and very helpful." City support would require legislative change Duncan Robertson, director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in Nova Scotia, said some jurisdictions, like Montreal and Calgary, offer construction mitigation funds to businesses. But he said implementing something similar in Nova Scotia would take extra steps. "Here in Nova Scotia, municipalities don't have the authority to provide direct financial support to small businesses. So we would need the province to get on board and make amendments to the Municipal [Government] Act," Robertson said in an interview. CBC News has asked the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs for comment. The federation released a report last year that found almost seven in 10 Canadian small businesses experienced "disruptions" due to construction projects over a five-year period. Among those, 40 per cent reported a decline in sales. The most common disruptions included issues with parking, increased traffic, dust, debris and noise. Robertson said aside from financial support, municipalities in Nova Scotia can help by communicating with businesses before construction projects begin. "The HRM [Halifax Regional Municipality], particularly, they deserve good credit. They have seen major improvements in communication and signage, et cetera. So they've done a good job at the non-financial side of construction mitigation," he said. The municipality told CBC News in a statement that while it does not provide compensation for construction-related impacts, "it remains committed to minimizing disruptions wherever possible and completing these essential projects safely and efficiently." Ashiq said he was given "ample notice" about the construction, but he did not expect it to be this disruptive. Among other things, the project involves adding a sidewalk, creating raised bike lanes and on-street parallel parking spaces, as well as streetscaping. "We knew that we would lose the parking spots on Dutch Village Road, but we weren't aware or sure that we would also lose the parking spot on the side streets," said Ashiq. He said that after sharing the challenges his business is facing on social media, many community members have responded with words of support and have started shopping at his store.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Overhaul of Halifax street comes at big cost to small businesses, says shop owner
The dust, debris and loud jackhammering that have become the new normal on Dutch Village Road in Halifax is costing small businesses in the neighbourhood, according to one store owner who has seen a dramatic drop in sales. Mohammad Ashiq, co-owner of Hello Pets, said financial support is needed to help businesses like his that are struggling because of the road construction project, which started in the spring and is expected to last until the end of the year. "What we're seeing is since April, our daily sales were starting to go down, and since July, that kind of was a bit more steep," Ashiq said in an interview. "We're seeing almost half of what we would normally see in a day." Ashiq said he's heard from several customers who've been avoiding the area — and his pet supplies shop — because it's too difficult to find parking with the ongoing construction. CBC News spoke with other businesses on the street that said they are also experiencing slumping sales. To encourage continued shopping, Ashiq is offering free delivery in Halifax and expanding his e-commerce platform. While it has helped the store keep afloat, Ashiq said he wishes more could be done from a government perspective. "A challenge like this scale is really difficult for us to navigate with the limited resources that we have," said Ashiq. "So any kind of support from the government would definitely be welcome and very helpful." City support would require legislative change Duncan Robertson, director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in Nova Scotia, said some jurisdictions, like Montreal and Calgary, offer construction mitigation funds to businesses. But he said implementing something similar in Nova Scotia would take extra steps. "Here in Nova Scotia, municipalities don't have the authority to provide direct financial support to small businesses. So we would need the province to get on board and make amendments to the Municipal [Government] Act," Robertson said in an interview. CBC News has asked the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs for comment. The federation released a report last year that found almost seven in 10 Canadian small businesses experienced "disruptions" due to construction projects over a five-year period. Among those, 40 per cent reported a decline in sales. The most common disruptions included issues with parking, increased traffic, dust, debris and noise. Robertson said aside from financial support, municipalities in Nova Scotia can help by communicating with businesses before construction projects begin. "The HRM [Halifax Regional Municipality], particularly, they deserve good credit. They have seen major improvements in communication and signage, et cetera. So they've done a good job at the non-financial side of construction mitigation," he said. The municipality told CBC News in a statement that while it does not provide compensation for construction-related impacts, "it remains committed to minimizing disruptions wherever possible and completing these essential projects safely and efficiently." Ashiq said he was given "ample notice" about the construction, but he did not expect it to be this disruptive. Among other things, the project involves adding a sidewalk, creating raised bike lanes and on-street parallel parking spaces, as well as streetscaping. "We knew that we would lose the parking spots on Dutch Village Road, but we weren't aware or sure that we would also lose the parking spot on the side streets," said Ashiq. He said that after sharing the challenges his business is facing on social media, many community members have responded with words of support and have started shopping at his store. Ashiq said it shows the community is doing its best to help small businesses — now he's hopeful governments follow suit. MORE TOP STORIES
Global News
16-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
‘Trying to make ends meet': Halifax store owner says construction is devastating business
A Halifax small business owner says he's trying to stay positive after construction on Dutch Village Road has slowed business to a crawl. Mohammad Ashiq, the co-owner of Hello Pets, says the year began well for business but things quickly deteriorated in the spring. 'We were expecting the construction would have an effect on our sales. But we weren't expecting the level of effect that it is having right now,' he said. Ashiq opened the pet store in the Fairview neighbourhood in 2022, along with his brother and their friend. He says during their short time in business, they've seen growth and a positive response from the community. 'We had a really good increase in our sales and like we're doing well. But since the construction started, it kind of really hit the pause in our momentum,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'We're just trying to catch up and trying to make ends meet, basically.' He says the municipality gave him advanced notice about the construction work, which includes adding sidewalks and bike lanes to the street, but he wishes more had been done to mitigate the disruption to his business. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He would have liked to see crews working on portions of the street at a time or during certain times of the day. Instead, it's full-on closures. 'We are just trying to kind of adapt to the situation as much as we can with the little resources that we have as a small business,' he said. Duncan Robertson, Nova Scotia's legislative affairs director with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says what's happening to Ashiq's business isn't unique. Robertson says 22 per cent of Atlantic Canadian businesses reported major disruptions due to construction. As a result, the CFIB is calling on the province and municipality to offer some form of compensation to local businesses. Among the jurisdictions that offer financial compensation are Montreal and Quebec City, which both have construction mitigation programs for small businesses. 'Now growth and construction is not a bad thing, but we really want governments to understand that this is having a real impact on our small businesses,' Robertson said. Story continues below advertisement 'When we see other municipalities step up by providing financial support, this should happen here in Nova Scotia as well.' 2:23 Construction projects impacting Canadian small businesses Halifax Regional Municipality doesn't currently offer compensation to small businesses. Spokesperson Jake Fulton acknowledges that construction is disruptive to business, saying in a statement that 'the municipality and the contractor will continue to provide businesses and residents with advance notice of any changes to traffic flow or access.' But Ashiq wants the municipality to offer something more. 'I feel like not just financial compensation, but there has to be some other creative ways to kind of support our small businesses,' he said. Construction along Dutch Village Road is expected to continue until December.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Halifax pet store says ongoing construction impacting business
Hello Pets says it has been negatively impacted by ongoing construction on Dutch Village Road. (Source: Facebook/Hello Pets) A Halifax pet store says the ongoing construction work on Dutch Village Road is severely impacting their business. Hello Pets, which is located at 3569 Dutch Village Rd., said in a Facebook post it has seen a significant drop in foot traffic since construction work started in April. 'Parking is very challenging, and even longtime customers have told us they weren't sure how to get to the store,' the post reads. 'Some have had to drive by without stopping because there was just no safe or easy way to get in. 'Our sales have dropped sharply, and as a small, independent business, it's been a real strain. We are doing our best to stay positive, but it's really tough.' Halifax council approved the Dutch Village Road Complete Streets Functional Plan in 2020, which is expected to aid raised protected cycle lanes on both sides of the street, additional pedestrian crossings, on-street parallel parking spaces, and a sidewalk. The current work is scheduled to be finished by December. More to come… For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
