The bar at Parkdale pinball arcade Cabin Fever has sat empty for most of 2020. Photo supplied by Robyn Harrison
Their regulars took on an October sleet storm to drink sidewalk beers and booked slots to play solo pinball among plastic dividers in the limited weeks of 2020 when the niche bars of Parkdale could offer some modified version of their typical social interaction.
But for much of the year, bar owners with loyal customers who felt more like family saw sales slow to a trickle.
They still had to pay liability insurance to maintain legal standing, though, and, in fact, discovered they’d be paying much more for the privilege of abiding by provincial law while dealing with less of the usual risks.