Ontario residents can officially celebrate getting to return to their favourite local shops at long last now that "non-essential" retail stores have been given the green light to begin welcoming customers in-person later this week as part of Step 1 of the province's Roadmap to Reopening.

NEW:It's official. Ford government starting to re-open economy this Friday. Phase1 includes restaurant patios w 4/table, non-essential stores w 15% cap, outdoor fitness, day camps. overnight camping. You'll have to wait till at least July 2 for haircut, earliest phase 2 can begin

— Cynthia Mulligan (@CityCynthia) June 7, 2021

As of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 11, the "non-essential" outlets that were forced to shutter provincewide in April after resuming operations in some regions for just one month will be allowed to open their doors once more.

Unfortunately for some businesses, the change only applies to stores with their own street-facing entrances, meaning that those in shopping malls will stay closed for now, save for the same pickup and delivery services they're already offering.

Back in the province's old colour-coded reopening system, "non-essential"  stores were only authorized to open in red, orange, yellow and green zones until February, when Premier Doug Ford updated grey zone regulations to include such retail with 25 per cent capacity limits (compared to "essential" retail's 50 per cent) and other health measures in place.

But then the provincewide emergency shutdown happened on April 3, and though all retail was initially permitted, stores that primarily sold goods that weren't food or personal hygiene products were eventually closed again on April 7.

There should not be a tiered system. Only a business that has been proven to be in outbreak or the cause of spread should have to close...as it has been with any other public health risk until now.

This system is insanity

— KatrinaONeill 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@Katrina08654336) June 7, 2021

This time around, retailers deemed "non-essential" will have to reduce the number of customers inside even further than the last time they were open, to only 15 per cent. Supermarkets, pharmacies, big box stores and the like will continue to function with 25 per cent caps in place.

As always, these businesses will be expected to operate under strict COVID-19 protocols as far as social distancing, sanitization, mask mandates, etc.

Since in-person shopping will now resume at all types of stores, big box outlets will also thankfully no longer be required to rope off "non-essential" items — which at some stores included many necessary household products, as well as art and office supplies while people were learning and working from home — meaning things will be looking a whole lot more normal.

My province has implimented an ingenius plan whereby they close off 80% of big box stores with what they deem to be non-essential goods.

Makes sense on paper, but non-essential is arbitrary, and now you've forced the same amount of people into a fifth of the space. Nonsensical.

— Eimíle Ó Corcráin #BIackLivesMatter (@EimileRos) May 2, 2021

Along with getting to patronize more retailers, residents will also be able to enjoy the patios at bars and restaurants, outdoor fitness classes, day camps for kids, zoos and other outdoor sites, and increased gathering limits of 10 people outside.