High fines for Mile End record shops
Mile End has several vinyl record shops, but maybe not for much longer. They stayed open late the weekend of April 13 and were visited by government agents who have slapped them with high fines for doing business out of hours. They’re hoping for mercy based on the Mile End being a tourist area now (where business hours laws are relaxed) but this will take tme.
dwgs 10:49 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
Can anyone give me one reasonable explanation as to why a record store shouldn’t be open past 5 pm on a Saturday? This sounds like one of those morality laws from days gone by.
Brett 11:15 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
And people wonder why there are empty storefronts.
Douglas 11:29 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
Does the city have power over this or is this a Quebec province thing?
Tim 12:41 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
It was noted in a story in the Gazette that bookstores in the neighborhood, such as Renault Bray, who also sell records, are exempt from this rule. Somebody needs to step up and fix this.
Meezly 13:20 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
My bet is that this law has a historical basis with the Catholic church, hence the fact that businesses must be closed on Sunday, etc. and has never been revised to keep up with the times, as the provincial gov’t is more concerned with other matters, like imposing restrictive secularism laws and coming off as hypocritical asses to the rest of the world.
david100 13:43 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
^ It’s just as likely to be a labor/protectionism thing, or a rule to appease neighbors by keeping “off hours” commerce out of the neighborhoods.
jeather 13:59 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
I certainly remember when no stores could be open on Sundays, except in December.
Kevin 14:53 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
It’s a provincial law, and when it was passed it was all about allowing grocery stores to stay open past 5 on weekends.
I remember this law being passed (in 1990!) and the debate at the time was about making sure workers weren’t being exploited by business owners.
Obviously a law that’s obsolete.
Kate 16:34 on 2019-12-12 Permalink
Kevin, if I recall correctly this law is why even the biggest grocery store can have a staff of no more than 4 or 5 people at certain points. The theory is to allow workers to have family lives.