With the security fence up and a large chunk of the downtown core about to be closed off, there is little question the G20 is taking its toll on local residents and businesses.
Many living near the security area have already made alternate plans for the upcoming weekend, looking to avoid the congestion and general chaos predicted by many.Gerry Stone, who lives just west of the security zone, said he has no intention of getting wrapped up in any of the problems associated with the downtown core's closure and the plentiful protests throughout the area."I'm getting the hell out of town," he said. "I've already made arrangements to go to a cottage and I took Friday off work so I'll be getting away on Thursday night before the trouble starts." Stone said he did not foresee major issues stemming from violence over the weekend and did not anticipate coming home to a huge mess, but said he was looking forward to getting away from the summit nonetheless."I don't think we'll see rioting in the streets, but why chance it?" he said. "If nothing else, I'll avoid not being able to move around downtown as easily as I normally would be able to."Nearby resident Alice McGovern said she would be visiting family out of town over the weekend, anticipating huge crowds flooding the streets. Unlike Stone, she said she was concerned over potential violence."If you look at the history of the G20, there have been problems before," she said. "I don't think anyone wants to see people get hurt, but (protesters) can get very disruptive."With access to the area closed to most people, there is little reason for businesses in the security zone to stay open. The Toronto Blue Jays moved their scheduled series against the Philadelphia Phillies to Philadelphia, and other businesses in the closed-off security area have also made plans to remain closed over the weekend."We're going to be closed from Friday to Monday because people just won't be able to make it down here," said Anne Greenwood of Toronto Hippo Tours, a tourism company that offers land-and-water tours of the area. "It's really bad timing because it's the first weekend kids are out of school, which is the first really busy weekend of the year for us."Greenwood said the installation of the security fence impacted their business well before the summit, noting the tour buses were slated to pick up passengers at an off-site location starting a week before the G20 came to town."It's just getting too difficult to maneuver with the fences," she said.The LCBO is also closing seven locations within and near the security zone over the weekend for safety and security precautions.