Ottawa committee to debate allowing Tanger Outlets to open on stat holidays
Posted Aug 25, 2020 06:25:00 PM.
The City of Ottawa's Finance and Economic Development Committee will be debating next week whether to allow the Tanger Outlets in Kanata to open its stores on statutory holidays.
According to a document prepared for the meeting next Tuesday, the mall's owner has applied for an exemption under the Retail Business Holidays Act.
Similar exemptions are in place for businesses in the ByWard Market, Downtown Rideau, Sparks Street, and The Glebe, but if approved, this would be the first exemption for a suburban shopping centre.
The Ottawa and District Labour Council, however, says it's opposed to the request and will fight to have it denied or repealed.
In an article posted it the labour council's website, it says there are a certain number of stat holidays that allow families to spend time together, and that is getting eroded.
Council President Sean McKenny also argues that extending shopping hours during the COVID-19 pandemic puts retail workers at greater risk.
