Quinte West thinking of allowing businesses to be open on holidays
Coun. Sally Freeman voted against a task force to look into changes to holiday hours for Quinte West stores on Monday night. Coun. Allan DeWitt proposed the task force, which council ended up approving. Photo by James Gaughan, QNet News
BELLEVILLE – Quinte West council has set up a task force to look at allowing local businesses to open on statutory holidays.
The task force will be made up of members of the city council and the chamber of commerce.
The task force was proposed at Monday’s night’s by Coun. Allan DeWitt.
“We have invested to make our city have a tourism industry, and yet on a holiday weekend in the summertime, you need to go elsewhere to buy something,” DeWitt said.
Businesses would not be forced to open on holidays, said DeWitt. The choice would be left up to the owner.
Coun. Sally Freeman strongly objected to the idea of letting businesses open on holidays. She told council that holidays are “precious to employees” and that she would not be voting for it even if the task force concludes it’s a good idea.
QNet News has reached out to Freeman for further comment.
Coun. David McCue said he empathized with Freeman’s position, but supports businesses being able to open on holidays.
“Hopefully those employers will be sensitive to the needs of their employees,” McCue said.
The task force will meet by Christmas this year.
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