North Bay's sole live adult entertainment club is closing its doors for at least a week as it evaluates how to navigate another in a series of changing public health directives.
Fanny's general manager JP Cormier spoke to BayToday to clarify the club is not closing for good, but rather taking a brief intermission.
Cormier says the staff and management at Fanny's can empathize with the crew at The Station as manager Ken Anderson spoke out Wednesday about the implementation by the province of the vaccine certificates and the associated issues the program creates for the service industry.
See related: Restaurant manager anxious over new vaccine passport protocols
"People are so sensitive when it comes to this subject," Cormier observes. "We're not picking sides," when it comes to the vaccine certificate directive, "we're just trying to survive, we're just trying to stay open. We're trying to include and appease everyone just like we always have."
See also: VIDEO: Premier Ford asks for patience for roll out of vaccine certificates
At times during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fanny's has been outright closed due to public health directives or forced to operate well below capacity. The staff of about 20 has been living in a state of flux like so many in the hospitality industry. Already short-staffed, establishments are forced to redeploy employees to enforce the proof of vaccination program.
"It's been tough on staff over the last couple of months since we reopened," Cormier says. "We followed the rules, we went above and beyond but it's hard on them. It's stressful for all of us."
In a Facebook post to its patrons, Fanny's shares, "It deeply saddens us that we now have to turn away customers that have supported us since the beginning. Our staff are the unfortunate ones that have to face these customers with the bad news, and it’s not their fault.
"People have a right to be angry, they have a right to be upset, so are we! But we also have a responsibility to protect our business, our staff, our liquor license, and our hopes of continuing to operate successfully in the future."
See: No internet? The Health Unit will print off your vaccine certificate for you
Before Fanny's continues on and tackles another pandemic business hurdle, Cormier says with the week off he's "just trying to give the staff a breather before I pile something else on."
