A petition drawn up by a local restaurant owner pleads with the provincial government to allow restaurants to open their patios.

Adam Matthews, owner of 72 Bolton Sports Cafe in Bobcaygeon, said he started the petition – which was signed by nearly 1,500 people – last week.

“During that time, I thought a lot about what has been posted; the hatred, the intimidation, the blatant blindness of people to what’s going on here, and the ramifications it will cause for years to come if this continues, ”Matthews said.

According to Matthews, a woman who works for a retail store in the same town as his business criticized him because she felt he was targeting their business in an interview.

“She thought I meant restaurants are affected more by lockdowns than retail. People like this need to wake up and understand that we are in crisis here. Now is not the time to have your little Facebook comments and see how many likes you get, ”he said. “It’s time for us all to fight together and safely open Bobcaygeon.”

If someone is as convinced as Matthews of Bobcaygeon’s businesses, he says he encourages them to start their own petition.

“Why do you think children could play on the playground 24 hours after being banned? Has the coronavirus suddenly left the playing field? No. People gathered and spoke up and said it was safe to open. Likewise, we can safely open Bobcaygeon and all the other businesses in all the other towns, ”he said.

“Instead of spending your time with negative comments and hoping businesses fail, and laughing on Facebook the hard way, get out of your mom’s basement and do something for the company.”

Losing a business in a city is a loss for every business, Matthews said.

“People like this girl who criticize businesses and business owners in their own city – especially when they work in one – are the weakest of the lower. How many people do you think will come to a city without restaurants and only in retail stores? It is not a competition. This is not one case against another. We need to be united in a small town, ”he said.

“Those who work together thrive together. The others… they disappear. Disappearing is exactly what will happen to businesses if we are not united now. “