Another blow for downtown businesses as this year's fireworks show over the Detroit River went virtual Monday night due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association chair Brian Yeomans says, for the second year straight year, bars and restaurants were deprived of one of their busiest nights of the year.
He says the border closure is impacting all aspects of business.
"People coming across, the majority of people that would fill up our waterfront were visitors, were tourists," he says. "With the border being closed, I can see that being a challenge for businesses anyway. Nothing is completely open yet."
Yeomans says business owners are already looking forward to next year.
"Definitely a busy day for businesses normally, but I think next year with everybody getting their shot in the arm we'll be in a much better place and ready to have the biggest fireworks show we've ever seen," says Yeomans.
He adds, while there were no fireworks, business are starting to rebound.
"Everybody is obviously a little bummed out that it didn't happen two years in a row, but they're really been rebounding well with the patios and sidewalk dining," he says. "It's been going pretty well for them and to see the patios full and people walking up and down the streets, it's amazing."
This year's Ford Fireworks were televised from Lake St. Clair Metropark about 30 kilometres outside of downtown Detroit.
The show is expected to return to the Detroit River in 2022.
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi