News release

Nova Scotians To Decide Sunday Shopping

Justice

Legislation introduced by Justice Minister Michael Baker today, Sept. 26, would allow six Sundays of retail shopping this Christmas season, and also authorizes a binding plebiscite on the issue next year.

"We've said all along that Nova Scotians, not 52 politicians, would decide the Sunday shopping issue," said Mr. Baker. "This legislation gives store owners the choice whether to open and protects operators who lease their space from being forced to open."

The legislation would also protect retail workers in stores that are currently not allowed to open on Sunday. Those workers would have the right to refuse to work on Sundays.

The trial period would begin Sunday, Nov. 16, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The binding plebiscite will ask Nova Scotians two questions:
"Should there be Sunday shopping in retail businesses not now permitted to be open on Sunday?"; and "If there is to be Sunday shopping, should it be on every Sunday, or only the six Sundays immediately before Christmas?" The plebiscite would be held during provincewide municipal elections in October 2004.

"The province will pick up all the extra costs associated with the plebiscite being part of the municipal election process," said Mr. Baker. "In the end, tying the two events together will save taxpayers several million dollars."

The legislation introduced today would amend the Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act and the Labour Standards Code. It would still prohibit Sunday shopping on certain holidays, including Easter Sunday, Remembrance Day, Christmas and Boxing Day.

More information is available on the Department of Justice Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/just and the Department and Environment and Labour Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/enla .