Glebe stores thankful for Thanksgiving exemption
OMB upheld an Ottawa city council decision granting the neighbourhood an exemption
By Idil Mussa, CBC News Posted: Oct 10, 2016 3:09 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 10, 2016 3:12 PM ET
Shoppers had the opportunity to peruse stores in the Glebe during the Thanksgiving statutory holiday after the Ontario Municipal Board upheld an Ottawa city council decision granting the neighbourhood an exemption from provincial legislation.
The exemption means that shops in the Glebe will be legally allowed stay open during five other statutory holidays including: New Year's Day, Family Day, Victoria Day, Canada Day, and Labour Day.
"We made a case to the city of Ottawa that we could contribute to the maintenance and development of tourism and that we believe that businesses should be afforded the choice to decide for themselves if it makes sense to open," said Andrew Peck, executive director of the Glebe Business Improvement Area.
There are about 70 businesses in the neighbourhood that are already allowed to stay open during statutory holidays including restaurants, small pharmacies and convenience stores, said Peck.
"There's another 120 businesses in the area that are [now] able to be open both along Bank St. and at Lansdowne as well."
The Ottawa and District Labour Council appealed the exemption to the OMB, but it was overturned in September.
Although businesses have the choice to remain open, the labour council's president, Sean McKenny, expressed concern that some employees would lose shifts, or be let go, if they didn't agree to work holidays.
However, Peck said many community members are happy with the decision to allow stores to remain open.
"The reaction I received has been incredibly positive. People with their families want to go and do things. The Glebe is a natural gathering space in the city of Ottawa," he said.
Allowing stores to remain open during certain holidays will allow retailers to remain competitive, while giving neighbourhood main streets the opportunity to thrive, added Peck.
"The Retail Business Holidays Act was created in 1990. That was at a time when we didn't have online shopping, power centres [and] free trade was two years in. The retail landscape has changed immensely. The reality is businesses need to adapt and they need to be able to take advantage of the pedestrian traffic when it's there."
"It's kind of nice to have the option to go browse and go do some shopping and spend some time with the family...and not just sitting around the TV," said Dan Orton, store manager of Compact Music on Bank St.
Orton, whose store held a special Thanksgiving Day sale, said customers have been receptive to the change.
"People seem to be really pleased we're open. We've had a lot of people browsing already," he said.
Orton admits not a lot of people know about the change, but he's interested to see how the exemption will shape the Glebe.
"It's a place you can come to. There's lots of nice little areas to hang out and it could end up being a real good hub for holidays."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/glebe-stores-thanksgiving-open-1.3798919
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So 38% of the 86 businesses in the proposed expanded area indicated that they were in favour of being included in the BIA. Can a BIA really force it's will onto the other 62% majority just by asking the City to approve their expansion? What if you don't want to belong to it? This BIA thing sounds a bit like a union to me.
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