Businesses in Windsor's West End still struggling due to road closures, lack of access

While the City of Windsor re-opened Tecumseh Road West, at Huron Church Road, to traffic on Sunday, businesses in the area say it's not enough.

Most of Huron Church Road has been off-limits to traffic for several days, a result of the Ambassador Bridge blockade. Many businesses on the road are difficult to access — large cement blockades line the side of the road, preventing vehicles from entering parking lots — and pedestrians and motorists have only been able to cross Huron Church Road a specific points.

While the bridge has been reopened to traffic, the city and Windsor police are allowing limited access to roads in the area out of concern more protests may start, and limit access to the bridge further (although a Superior Court judge has issued an injunction aimed at preventing that).

Surinder Khahra, owner of the Huron Church Animal Hospital, said the last two weeks have been "terrible," and he's worried the business won't be able to stay open much longer.

"My business is almost closed," he said, and while staff are attending work, nobody is booking appointments.

"We are unable to serve our clients," Khahra said. "People are having great difficulty [finding] it."

He said people coming from the east side of Huron Church Road are getting lost, and unable to find their way to the clinic. The lack of access means no walk-in appointments are happening, either, Khahra said.

"It's a very difficult situation for me," he said. "Every day, the expense is there. Medicine, staff, mortgages ... city taxes."

Mohammad Mehravari, owner of Windsor Kabob House on Mill Street — west of Huron Church Road — said his business has been struggling, as well.

"We lost about 70 to 80 per cent of the business," he said. "It was very hard."

"I have a difficulty to even pay the rent of the place, not mentioning everything else, like paying for the staff and paying for the material."

Mehravari said while financial aid would help, what's really needed is Huron Church Road re-opened to traffic so customers — many of whom don't live in the area — can access the restaurant.

Pardhyl Jaha, manager and cook at Hi-Ho Classic Diner on Huron Church Road, said the last two weeks have been difficult there, as well.

He said the restaurant couldn't be opened during the Ambassador Bridge blockade.

"The last ... week, it's kind of a little bit better," he said. "Not 100 per cent, it's like 40, 50 per cent."

Jaha, too, said he was hopeful the roads would fully open soon.

Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante said he's in favour of more financial support for businesses affected by the Ambassador Bridge blockade, but he wasn't sure if any is planned.

"I support any type of relief that's available for our business community," he said. "I think the way we need to look at this emergency and this crisis is a national one, and so whatever national support, federal support we could receive, and even provincial support, would be very welcome."

'Welcome news' for residents

The re-opening of part of Tecumseh Road is welcome news for residents in the West End, Costante said.

"It's big news for a lot of residents, especially those west of Huron Church, in the Sandwich community," he said. "Getting from the west to the east with the blockage of Huron Church has been extremely difficult for many."

"At the less-extreme end, for those that have a car, it's been a great inconvenience," Costante said. "But at the more extreme, and for those that rely on transit or do most things by foot, it's been a very, very difficult experience this past week."

"And so this is welcome news for many residents and businesses in the West End."

Costante said he's heard complaints of congestion, noise, and illegal parking from residents in the area.