Shopping debate heats up

Maritime province considers opening stores on Sunday

Andy Walker
Special to CW

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI–The debate over Sunday shopping is heating up again in Canada's smallest province, but to date there has been little in the way of an organized response from the Christian community.

"At this point there really isn't anything concrete to react to," says Loran Fevens, a former member of the Charlottetown Christian Council and the coordinator of Christian Communications–a volunteer group that coordinates Sunday morning radio church broadcasts. "It is certainly being talked about by people and if the government does move, the Christian community will oppose it."

Currently, stores are allowed to stay open the last Sunday in November and all of the Sundays in December before Christmas. In 2001, that gave Islanders five extra shopping days. But under the law passed in 1992, the price for that privilege was the loss of two high volume sales days–Labour Day and Boxing Day.

Since then, Sunday shopping has largely been a sleeping dog that both government and the business community have been reluctant to wake.

However, the cage was rattled with the January 7 decision by Moncton, New Brunswick, City Council to allow year-round Sunday shopping.

Citing the possible loss of business during the busy summer months, the Tourism Industry Association in P.E.I. called for Sunday shopping from June through August.

Tourism minister Greg Deighan favours the idea, as does the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce.

An informal web poll conducted by the province's major newspaper, The Guardian, showed a strong majority in favour of stores being open seven days a week.

The newspaper itself has come out editorially in favour of Sunday shopping.

However, the ruling Progressive Conservative caucus is divided on the issue. Even with the pressure, Fevens says he would be surprised if there is any movement during the spring session of the legislature, which usually runs from March until May.

"This has the potential to become an urban-rural issue," he says. "Let's face it, the majority of the population of the province still live in rural areas."

He also remains convinced that opening seven days a week would do little to stem any flow of traffic to Moncton. Loran explained that many Islanders have traditionally gone on a day-long excursion to the New Brunswick city a couple of times a year and the opening of Confederation bridge seems to have done little to stem that trend.

Don Cudmore, the executive director of the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I., served notice his group plans to keep up its pressure on the government, saying it's essentially a question of service. Since the closest neighbour and competitor is offering the service, Island tourism operators are at a disadvantage.

Cudmore says Sunday shopping has the potential to create more jobs and increase the length of stay for visitors to the province, adding that they "feel it will be a positive development not only for the tourism industry but the Island economy."

However, Fevens is worried about workers who may be threatened with the loss of their jobs if they refuse to work on Sundays. "Shoppers can go home with their families after they go to the store on Sundays but the employees are there for the day–and it is often the only day they have to spend time with their families."