Toronto council kills holiday shopping plan

TORONTO - Torontonians will not be flocking to shopping malls this Christmas, or any other statutory holidays, after city council voted to kill a proposal to extend shopping on holidays.

Council voted against the proposal May 12 and have sent it back to committee for more study.

Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins published an open letter to council May 11 urging councillors to "strongly oppose" the proposal that would have seen stores allowed to open on Christmas, Easter Sunday, Good Friday and other holidays.

“Our whole community is made poorer when times sacred to the human spirit are sacrificed so that the last drop of profit may be extracted,” wrote Collins.

“It is important that people of all faiths be able to celebrate their holy days without pressure being put upon employees and their families. It is surely not unreasonable to expect that the city should show respect for the most holy days of the nearly two-thirds of the population who are Christians.”

Collins said it is foolish to pursue profit at the “expense of human and spiritual values” and “the sanctity of the family.”

“It erodes the quality of life in our city,” Collins wrote.

The city's economic development committee had recommended that retailers across the city be permitted to open on holidays. It is currently illegal for most stores to open on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and Family Day.