In just a few days, on May 10th, Toronto City Council will consider allowing some commercial shopping areas to open on statutory holidays. Tell City Council to vote “no” to holiday shopping exemptions! Many retail workers can only count on these nine days of rest with their families.

SmartCentres and Yorkdale’s wealthy corporate real estate owner, Oxford Properties, have been heavily lobbying city politicians, to pressure them to overturn parts of the City bylaw. Let’s counter that with people power.

Click the button above to automatically send your email to [email protected] about Item EC3.17 - Tourist Area Exemptions for Holiday Shopping for Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

If you would like to send the email directly, please copy the same text below, and add your name and address at the end:

SUBJECT LINE: Re: Item EC3.17 - Tourist Area Exemptions for Holiday Shopping for Yorkdale Shopping Centre - Amendment to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 510-5.

To Toronto City Council,

You will be considering a motion to allow Holiday Shopping in multiple parts of Toronto. I call on you to oppose this motion.

There are only nine days a year when retail stores are not open in Toronto, including New Years Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Retail workers have fought to guarantee they get those days off work, so they can spend time with their families and friends.

But this motion would open up shopping at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, at Scarborough Town Centre, and in the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood. This is bad enough, but if this motion is encouraged, other shopping centres will continue lobbying to get an exemption for themselves, and before we know it, big corporations will be pressing to get rid of any rules.

As a worker, I can get by without having to shop for clothing, or household goods, or groceries on nine days a year. I value these days of rest, and want them safeguarded for others.

Whether in a tourist area or not, retail workers deserve to have nine guaranteed days off a year. Vote for common days of rest for retail workers.

Please vote no on this motion.

[INSERT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]