When will Thompson's stores be allowed to open Boxing Day?
Seems like a simple question, right? Well, thanks to a series of calendar coincidences and confusing legislative protocols, Thompson retailers won't know when they can open their doors until just a few days before what is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Under provincial legislation, passed in November, Manitoba businesses are now able to be open whenever they want to be on Boxing Day, even when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday and the businesses in question are in a community that has a bylaw restricting Sunday shopping.
However, that can be nullified by the community passing a bylaw (actually an amendment to the existing Sunday shopping bylaw) to specifically restrict the hours businesses can be open when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday. The City of Thompson has been trying to do this, and passed first reading of such an amendment on Nov. 29.
Second and third reading were to take place at the Dec. 13 council meeting. An air of confusion surrounded the debate over the amendment - all of the seven councillors present knew whether they wanted businesses to be open whenever they wished or restricted to the normal Sunday shopping hours of 12 to 6 p.m., but some were confused as to which way they would have to vote to get the desired result. An impromptu "revote" was even called for to reaffirm the will of council.
Voting in favour of the bylaw were Coun. Dennis Fenske, Coun. Luke Robinson, Coun. Penny Byer, and Coun. Judy Kolada. Robinson said that this would ensure that Thompsonites have time to spend with their family on Boxing Day.
Voting against were the unlikely coalition of Coun. Stella Locker, Coun. Erin Stewart, and Deputy Mayor Charlene Lafreniere, all of whom suggested that it was not the job of the city to tell businesses when they could and could not open their doors, especially on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Mayor Tim Johnston and Coun. Brad Evenson were not present at the meeting.
However, in all the confusion, third reading of the bylaw never took place. As that was the last scheduled council meeting before Boxing Day, a special council meeting has been called for Dec. 20 to deal with third reading of the bylaw, as well as other issues such as the 2011 fee and fine schedule.
