Nova Scotians vote against Sunday shopping

Halifax, Canada, Nov 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The majority of Nova Scotians voted “No” to Sunday shopping in a referendum in mid-October, making the Atlantic province the only Canadian jurisdiction without it.

The Archdiocese of Halifax was in the lead in the campaign against Sunday shopping. It organized a coalition that included several Christian churches, retail workers and small business owners.

The coalition campaigned on a $1,000 budget, while pro-Sunday shopping advocates spent more than $100,000.

The province’s Conservative government has pledged to stand by the election results.

“Our government made the commitment to let Nova Scotians decide the Sunday shopping issue, and today the majority made its collective choice clear,” said Justice Minister Michael Baker. “Sunday shopping will remain as it is now, governed by the Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act.”

Deacon Bob Britton, chancellor of the archdiocese, said the coalition was pleased with the results.

“I think that our Church, standing in solidarity with other churches and people of goodwill, was a clear sign that our appeal was to the needs of all Nova Scotians and not only those who valued a Christian understanding of the Lord’s Day,” he told the Atlantic Catholic. “We discovered that all those who coalesced around this issue shared a common vision – that we human beings are more than consumers.”