Premier Brian Pallister is thinking about changing the law that forces businesses to close on holidays.
Executive Director of the Dauphin and District Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Chychota, shares his thoughts.
“The more power a business owner, or even a small business owner can have running their business, the better for them.”
Chychota wants small businesses to have the option to stay open.
“As long as they have that option and it can go in either direction. Some businesses might not see any benefit to it and it could be an entire cost to them. For some in certain industries or categories, it could benefit them quite greatly for having access to being open while others are closed.”
Chychota thinks it’ll be a case by case basis if businesses were given the opportunity to stay open but says there probably would be businesses in our area that would stay open given the opportunity.
Pallister says he agrees with a grocery store owner who has complained that there is a contradiction in allowing casinos and liquor stores to open while forcing grocers and others to close. Pallister would like to let municipalities set their own rules for holidays.
