Business owners feel the bite as teachers’ strike empties Calgary classrooms

As Alberta’s provincewide teachers’ strike stretches into its fourth day, the ripple effects are being felt far beyond the classroom.

In Calgary’s Beltline, restaurants that typically rely on student and teacher foot traffic are seeing their lunch hour business vanish.

Across from Western Canada High School, Bussin Burger is usually bustling with students grabbing a quick bite between classes. But this week, the counters are quiet.

“It’s usually around 25 to 35 kids on a daily basis during lunch hour,” said Sanya, a food counter attendant at Bussin Burger. “Then they come again after school.”

With classrooms empty, those regular visits have dried up.

Just steps away at Sal’s Pizza, the drop-off has been even more dramatic.

“From the students, we used to get 300 or 400 slice sales,” said staff member Bruke Abegaz. “Now in a day we do about 40 or 50.”

At Hii Pot, the absence of teachers is compounding the slowdown.

“We do get a bunch of teacher traffic as well,” said floor team member Oscar Son. “Now that there is nothing coming in, yesterday could have been one of the slowest days we had.”

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) warns that the timing couldn’t be worse.

“That’s going to translate into more financial hardship,” said Kayode Southwood, CFIB’s senior policy analyst. “These businesses are already dealing with the Canada Post strike, they’re dealing with the U.S.-Canada trade war.”

Alberta’s 51,000 striking teachers walked off the job Monday. But there may be a glimmer of hope for affected businesses with both sides expected to return to the bargaining table next week.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association said the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, was prompted by progress in recent side talks. Finance Minister Nate Horner’s office confirmed receipt of a draft proposal from the union on Thursday, calling it “complex.”

If negotiations go well, formal discussions could resume shortly thereafter—potentially bringing students, teachers, and lunchtime crowds back to Calgary’s eateries.