Canadian Laws Barring Sunday Business Upheld
The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of blue laws barring many major stores from opening on Sundays, but at the same time it said the prohibition is an infringement of religious freedom.
The court’s 6-1 ruling applied specifically to the 1976 Retail Business Holidays Act in Ontario, the wealthiest and most populous province in Canada. But the verdict set a precedent for the constitutionality of similar laws in other provinces.
British Columbia and Alberta have permitted Sunday shopping since the Supreme Court last year struck down Alberta’s Lord’s Day Act, which also restricted Sunday opening, as a violation of religious freedom for non-Christians.
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