shepd's Journal: Stupid Ontario Retail Facts!

As many of you may happen to have figured out, I now run a retail business in Ontario, Canada.

Well, as all the christmas hype, etc, have passed, I find myself bored and reading the Retail Business Holidays Act; the law that governs when a shop can and can't open in Ontario.

Did you know that most retail businesses in Ontario must:

• Close for the following Christian/Catholic holidays, without regard to the proprietor's religion (or lack thereof):
• • Good Friday
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day
  • Easter Sunday
• Despite popular opinion, any anti-Sunday Shopping shopping laws have NOT been repealed. Instead they have been replaced with a law requiring one to close one day a week depending on the owner's religion. No mention is made for what an aetheist must do (We comprise Ontario's third largest "religious" segment).
• Non-unionized shops are required to respect labour day.
• All stores may open on Boxing Day.
• Fines of $500 to $50,000 may be levied against companies opening on the preceeding Christian/Catholic holidays.
• No fine is mentioned for opening seven days a week in an area with Sunday Shopping laws.

Of course, many of these rules are broken anyways, but they're still remnants of Ontario's past battles with Protestants (Can you believe that in Canada? No? Check it all out right here, and remember when voting nationally, vote for a PM willing to amend a conflicting constitution [Yes, Canada does reject the notion that religion is an acceptable reason to create a law, ever since 1982 at least].)

Before someone mentions it, NO, I'm not referring to section 2 of our charter! It has nothing to do with the conflict. The conflict is between section 15 (equal rights for all without regard to religion). It is currently illegal to select to pay one's taxes towards the separate school system in Ontario if you aren't Catholic. A nitpick, but a true fact!

Just something for Canadians (and others!) to chew on.

wow

[Gropo]

I thought the United States of Absolute-consumption was headed on the wrong track when it came to 'religious hegemony'.

And here I was ready to expatriate myself to Quebec if Bush wins a second term.

Of course this heavy blast of your "delightful" Canadian air here in the North-East has swayed my convictions a bit...

Re:wow

[shepd]

Canada, or at least Canadian people. it has always seemed to me, have this way of simply ignoring things they don't like and hoping that makes them go away.

It's strange, but I think it helps explain a lot. :-S Canadians, as a people, aren't all rooted in religion or anything. It's just that when it comes to the smaller points in life, everyone is willing to ignore the less important aspects as long as the rest of the ride is smooth. Catch my drift?