The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Thompson City Council has given first reading to a new bylaw that will allow for Sunday morning shopping. Under a new provincial law, Manitoba municipalities have the right to permit retailers to open between 9 a.m. and noon on Sundays. Previously, businesses with four or more employees at work at the same time could only open until noon on Sundays. The council in Thompson has yet to approve the required second and third readings of the bylaw. Those readings of the bylaw will likely take place at the next scheduled meeting of council on Aug. 13. Coun. Luke Robinson has questioned the rationale for the bylaw, asking whether it would take away from family time. The bylaw does not obligate retail businesses to operate for three extra hours Sunday morning; it simply gives them the freedom to do so. The Thompson Chamber of Commerce sent out a mass e-mail, asking each of its 171 members what they thought of the new Sunday shopping bylaw. The response was underwhelming to say the very least, with five total responses. The responses that were received were divided, with one respondent in favour and one opposed. Another had no comment, and one indicated support for whatever city council decided. The other response asked a question: 'how much time do people need to shop?' _ With files from Matt Durnan, Thompson Citizen
