The co-owner of an independent pet store in Halifax says he is kept up at night over what might happen to his business as Dutch Village Road undergoes a major overhaul.
Mohammad Ashiq tells our newsroom he has been running Hello Pets on Dutch Village by Andrew Street, with his friend and brother since 2022.
They have seen a steady increase in their sales- until now.
“We were very excited to start something of our own, being here in this community. But with this construction, we have had a big impact on our sales, and it has definitely had an impact on the momentum that we had of a small new business,” says Ashiq.
He says the construction has made access to their business really tough, causing foot traffic to plummet, cutting in half the number of people entering the store.
That, he says, is scary.
“We are a fairly new business, still kind of learning, so this disruption obviously creates another set of challenges,” adds Ashiq.
$10 million project
Dutch Village Road is a very busy roadway near the Fairview area of Halifax that typically sees about 14,000 vehicles on it every day.
It is in the middle of a $10 million construction project that includes work on bus stops, bike lanes and underground piping work.
Councillor Kathryn Morse says the project is to not only make Dutch Village safer but more aesthetically pleasing, however, she has received emails and calls from residents and businesses over the frustration.
Worse than expected
Work started on Dutch Village in the spring.
The city gave businesses who would be affected a heads up before it began, but according to Ashiq, the disruption they expected was nothing on this level.
“People are avoiding it because of the traffic. It’s just not a great place to be right now. So many of our customers tell us they want to come but they just cannot find parking, or they are just avoiding the area in general,” says Ashiq.
He adds, other businesses are also feeling the impact, including one that has completely switched to online sales.
“So, a lot of people are trying to kind of adapt, including us. But again, it’s very difficult for any small businesses to kind of adapt suddenly, as we don’t have resources to match those challenges,” says Ashiq.
Staying positive
Despite the current challenges, Hello Pets is trying to stay positive that they will get through this.
Ashiq says they have received a huge response from the community after a social media post on the matter.
“With the love and support that we continue to receive from our community members and customers, I feel confident that we will be able to get through this challenge,” says Ashiq.
Work on Dutch Village is expected to be ongoing until December.
