A newly-opened Whole Foods Market in Ottawa is defying provincial law today by opening for business on Good Friday. It will do the same on Easter Sunday, it says. Ontario’s Retail Business Holidays Act lets some businesses stay open, but also seeks to provide consumers and employees with a common day of pause. There are exceptions and variations to the law which typically create a confused picture of what is really legal, and what is fair. Locally, Summerhill Market is open today with certain restrictions about how much space is serviced. Toronto is unique because it was given the authority by the Legislature to regulate itself in the matter of Sunday and holiday openings. The City has created a patchwork of legal and illegal conditions which are generally thought to be unsustainable under the Charter but have never been tested. In recent years the City’s staff has studied holiday openings and has recommended an end to all holiday restrictions but no action has been taken
