Shopping on holidays in the Town of LaSalle could soon look very different.
A report heading to council on Tuesday recommends a shift in how retail businesses operate on statutory holidays, potentially allowing most stores to open their doors year-round.
The proposal stems from a request from a local Food Basics store that is looking for permission to remain open on holidays.
Instead of granting a single exemption, administration is suggesting a town-wide bylaw under the Retail Business Holidays Act, with Christmas Day likely remaining the only mandatory closure.
Currently, provincial legislation requires most businesses to close on stat holidays, but municipalities grant exemptions to one store at a time or implement a blanket policy for all retailers.
Until now, the town has approved case-by-case exemptions, but administration says it can be a slow process, confusing for shoppers as to who is open, and can be difficult to enforce.
LaSalle mayor Crystal Meloche says this new bylaw would create fairness to businesses.
"Right now if a business wanted to open on a holiday, they'd have to apply, they'd go through a public process, and they'd wait through appeal times... some businesses would be approved, and then at times others weren't which obviously creates confusion for both businesses and residents. So, the blanket exemption would simplify everything, it creates one consistent rule for everyone."
She says it allows those who want to be open to do so.
"It still gives businesses that flexibility to decide on what they want to do and what they don't want to do, but it takes the guesswork out of it for everybody, and when it comes to enforcement - especially when it comes to holidays - it can be a little bit harder when you look at a municipality of this size, and the size of our bylaw department, being able to go out there and enforce is pretty difficult."
Meloche says big box stores in the town had applied for exemptions.
"Our larger stores like the Zehrs, Fresh Co, Windsor Crossing... they've all went through this process before and so I think this creates fairness for all businesses because some of the other businesses who aren't working in a large franchise, or large corporation, may not know that they had the ability to go through this process. So, it really is creating fairness across the municipality."
Currently, businesses looking for the exemption pay an application fee of $220; however, administration says the fee does not offset the staff time required to review submissions, prepare notices, correspond with the requestor, and track appeal timelines.
Meloche says if this is approved, council would then need to give final approval to the bylaw before the hours can be adjusted.
Council will discuss the report during Tuesday's council meeting starting at 6 p.m.