ByWard Market businesses, shoppers appreciate holiday shopping option

As the Glebe Business Improvement Area applies for a tourism exemption to allow shops to open on statutory holidays, shoppers and business owners in the ByWard Market say they've appreciated being able to open.

Right now the ByWard Market, Sparks Street and the Rideau Centre have been granted special status from the city and province to be able to open on statutory holidays such as Labour Day because they've proven to be tourist destinations.

The Glebe BIA's executive director told Ottawa Morning last month they're applying for the same status, citing the Rideau Canal and Lansdowne Park as some of the tourist destinations in the area.

Business owners in the ByWard Market said Monday they appreciate the option to open a few extra days a year.

"We're going through a little rough economic process and I think people have to come and support small businesses," said Jack Tixi, owner of Tickled Pink children's shop.

"Right now we cannot afford to be closed … [it's a] good thing we can be open."

Khalia Scott, one of the owners of the Eclection boutique, agreed.

"It's one of the few ways we get a tiny little competitive edge over all these gigantic foreign based chains, we're kind of boxing it out here and it's good to have a leg up," Scott said.

Labour groups want holidays preserved

These exemptions do have their critics, such as unions who want days off saved for people to spend time away from the workplace.

"They seem to be taking a whack at workers when statutory holidays are clearly there to provide families an opportunity to be together on that day. There's so few of them," said Sean McKenney, president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, which represents almost 55,000 unionized workers in the Ottawa area.

"When folks say the employees are going to have the option whether to work … especially when they're younger, that option although said in words that you can work or not work, what it really means is, 'if you hope to stay we expect you to be there on that stat holiday.'"

The Glebe BIA said it will be asking city council to approve its request for a tourism exemption and if it passes, the city will ask the province for the exemption from its Retail Business Holiday Act.

Without this exemption, only gas stations, pharmacies under 7,500 square feet, nurseries, flower shops, gardening centres and certain small shops can open on statutory holidays.

This is the first request for such an exemption since the City of Ottawa amalgamated in 2001.