Working To Serve You Better ... But Not On Sundays ... Or Boxing Day

One of my many jobs is digesting new provincial legislation as it's passed. Which means, if nothing else, I will never be able to plead ignorance of the law. Or at least not provincial law.

But, believe it or not, I'm also finding that the work is also good for providing blogging material. For example, did you know that Nova Scotia now [read finally] has class action proceedings legislation? Meaning that, just like everybody else in the civilized world, residents of this Province can now bring a class action suit (where they are acting not just for themselves but other people with similar claims against the same defendant). Well, thanks to my work, readers of my other blawg now know.

And then there's that blog post I never did get around to, which was going to be called "Trying to Get Right", ... to be based on the new Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act.

You see, for a long time, like up until about a year ago, Nova Scotia did not have Sunday shopping. Nope. None. With a few exceptions of course, like drug stores, touristy kind of places, etc. And restaurants and movie theatres and the like were open, but no real shopping. Which, believe it or not, many of us actually liked.

But then we were dragged, some would say kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.

"The rules will be the same for all retail outlets, creating a level playing field for all retailers in Nova Scotia, regardless of what they sell," he said.

Retail stores of all kinds can open on Sundays and other holidays, starting this weekend. The only exception is Remembrance Day, which is covered under a separate law.

The Premier, apparently, thought this was a good idea. Many others did not. Especially when it meant that stores could legally open on every day, with the exception of Remembrance Day. Not only do the majority of Nova Scotians not cotton to the idea of stores being open on Christmas Day, Canada Day or Labour Day [say what, a day off for 'labour' and they have to work?!], we're also not so fond of the idea of them opening on Boxing Day, either.

I know, I know, I can just hear the gasps of horror now. There must be something wrong with us. Forget the Grinch who stole Christmas, this is all about the Grinch who stole Boxing Day! Well, it works like this you see ... if the stores are closed of Boxing Day (more gasps of horror), it just means that you get to shop 'til you drop and take advantage of all those Boxing Day specials the very next day, on December 27th.

And the people who work in retail? Can have another day off. With their families. For Christams. Yeah, we're a little funny about things like that around here. Go figure.

So, about a week or so before Christmas this year, the government announced that it would support an opposition bill that would would force stores to close for an additional seven designated days a year; namely, Boxing Day, Canada Day, Christmas Day, Easter Sunday, Good Friday, Labour Day, New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving Day.

Which makes us happy.

And which, my dear friends, also led to me spending a portion of my Christmas holiday digesting the Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act. So that I could share it with you. In a blog post.

See now how it all makes sense? Perfect harmony. And for any out there shaking their heads at our 'backwardness', think about this ... it might just have something to recommend it. It's a quieter, more laid back way of life around here ... at least on Sundays. Or ... at least it use to be.

And that's the way, uh huh, uh huh, we like it...