'It started from bare bones': Windsor indoor playground comes to life

Businesses push through tough times A new business launching this weekend hopes their story is a sign of hope in the midst of recent closures. Bob Bellacicco explains.

When the idea of opening a kids related business came up in November of 2021 optimism wasn’t on the prevailing sentiment.

"A lot of people questioned it," said Safaa Serhan. "A lot of people were like, 'what are you thinking?'"

Safaa Serhan wanted to set up a birthday party for her young boy but the pandemic was making that endeavor difficult.

"Where can we take him?" wondered Serhan. "Throwing a birthday at home after Covid was really tough."

Serhan believed families needed a place like Slides Indoor Playground, which officially opened this weekend.

"We need a playground for kids to interact again. Have somewhere to play," she told her husband Ali, who wasn’t immediately sold on the idea.

After a couple of days, he decided to leave his career in retail and join his wife's crusade.

There was a lot to do and learn. The creation of the business included a big play area which Ali constructed by hand. "The fact that it started from bare bones and it's here, it's surreal."

The pride is evident and notable after going through the challenge of building a business from scratch while dealing with inflation.

"It's (the prices of equipment and materials) already dropped so much from when we did it. We got hit quite a bit. It was really tough."

In a time when small local businesses are closing or are in jeopardy, the Serhan's feel fortunate to be in business.

"We struggled in the beginning but we're here," said Ali. "We're enjoying the fact that people are coming in. That alone is payoff. The community support has been amazing."

Cealia Gagnon brought her two-year-old son and is thankful the business was created.

"It's hard to find things to do in our area so I'm just really happy that they have something great to do for the young ages."

Another business pushing through during these tough times is Barkrs Brew on University Avenue, east of the casino. "It is scary to own a business but I knew this was the time to get in there and get things going," said owner Rob Hagland who renovated a 104-year-old building to start the business with his wife. "It'll be tough for a while but I know that people need places like this to be around so they can get that sense of community."