Sask. party bus company awaits clarification on when it can reopen

As more Saskatchewan businesses get ready to open in Phase 3 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, Sylvia Spicer still has no idea when her business could get up and running once again.

Spicer is the owner of Party On Entertainment Ltd., a family-owned party limo-bus company in Regina.

While she assumes her business will be able to operate starting June 8 as a part of Phase 3 of the plan along with restaurants and bars, she hasn’t received any direction as to what phase her company falls under.

“I don’t know if there’s too many other businesses that haven’t been highlighted in any of the phases. I just kind of feel like we’ve been forgotten about and we’re just guessing for Phase 3 and hoping that’s a go,” Spicer said.

“We kept looking for information as to anything to do with limos or buses or anything. (The province) has mentioned tattoo places (and) massage (parlours), and I don’t know where we fit in.”

Spicer said her company had to shut down completely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings put in place.

“There was no possible way we were going to run,” she said. “We’ve had lots of postponements — as far as weddings, most of them have been postponed to next year — and we also provided transport for (Saskatchewan Roughriders) games and that’s out the window. You can’t really social distance on a bus.”

She said there were between 30 and 40 weddings postponed and bookings for graduations have been postponed until August but there’s still no way to know if those will go on.

Along with just being able to open its doors again as a business, Spicer said restrictions on gatherings make things difficult for the company. Its buses range in capacity from 12 people to 24 but that also includes a bartender and server.

“We’re assuming we’re Phase 3 but who knows? We want to follow all the protocol and everything,” Spicer said. “Even when we do get up and running, we’re going to need to take less bookings to ensure we have enough time in between to do cleanings and follow protocol.”

Summer is usually the busiest time of the year for the company, which often is fully booked up every week from Thursday to Saturday.

Spicer said her company has received relief when it comes to rent from its landlord and it has been able to keep costs low during the pandemic.

“We don’t have a lot of operating costs — we’re still paying insurance and that kind of stuff — but we’re not buying liquor (and) we’re not plating our buses because there was no point in it. Our staff has just been sitting and waiting for the call to say we’re back in business,” Spicer said.

But if the pandemic goes on another few months, Spicer said it might make things difficult to get up and running again.

“We’ve just basically shut down to nothing, hoping even for business to come back,” she said. “I’m sure people will be a little bit apprehensive and I’m not even sure how you can social distance on a bus.”

The province has set up a Business Response Team for businesses to reach out to if they have questions about where they may fall in the reopening plan.

On Tuesday, the government said party buses can begin serving alcohol as a part of Phase 3 and can operate at 50 per cent capacity subject to their ability to maintain social distancing.

Party buses will also be subject to additional requirements of licensed establishments, such as individual drinks served and no self-vending options.