Major construction around the Quebec City Aquarium has prompted the establishment to shut down on weekdays until mid-December, leaving staff concerned for their wages and schedules.
As of Monday, the aquarium will be open exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when construction is paused. An exception is being made on Monday, Oct. 14 for the Thanksgiving long weekend.
SEPAQ, the provincial agency in charge of parks and wildlife reserves, says the decision was made after considering the safety risks posed by the work on the aquarium’s parking lot and at the entrances to nearby bridges.
“We prioritized the safety of our customers and employees,” said Stéphanie Tremblay, communications advisor for the aquarium, highlighting that a significant portion of visitors includes young children, seniors and people with reduced mobility.
While the union representing the aquarium’s 130 workers is not questioning the reasons for the closure, it says it would have liked more communication prior to the announcement to be able to reassure its members.
“I learned about it [Friday] afternoon in a news release,” said Normand Paradis, president of the Quebec-Chaudière-Appalaches region’s Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ).
“We would have hoped, and still do, for collaboration with SEPAQ to better co-ordinate the situation and ease the concerns our workers had when the announcement was made.”
‘Who is guaranteed all their hours?’
While SEPAQ has said the weekday closures will not result in any job losses or layoffs, Paradis is concerned about how the extended closure period will affect employees’ schedules.
“Will workers be put on forced leave? And who is guaranteed all their hours?” he said. “There’s also the fact that they’ll have to work every weekend, whereas normally they could work from Monday to Friday.”
He estimates that 60 or so customer service employees will be more affected than those looking after the animals. “We have to ensure the survival of the animals inside the aquarium, feed them and maintain their living spaces,” he said.
Tremblay said the aquarium is a vast site with lots of tasks, “but yes, there will be some schedule changes for some employees.”
Paradis is wondering whether SEPAQ will seek compensation from Quebec’s Transport Ministry, which is overseeing the work that led to the closure.
Tremblay said that will be part of the ongoing discussions.
Customers and groups who had booked a visit to the aquarium on upcoming weekdays have been contacted and will be refunded. The validity period of annual passes will also be extended to compensate for the days of closure.