Boxing Day shopping question will be put to the people

Saultites will decide whether stores should be open or not on Boxing Day.

At its meeting tonight, Sault Ste. Marie City Council agreed to begin the process of phrasing the question that will appear on a special ballot in the form of a plebiscite or referendum during the municipal election scheduled for November 2010.

Council needs plenty of time to get the question right, said Ward 2 Councillor Terry Sheehan, and plenty of public input too.

Whatever the outcome of the vote, Saultites will have to live with it until after the 2014 election, advised City Solicitor Lorie Bottos.

"If there is a special election for whatever reason after the 2014 election, then the question could be put on a ballot with that election," he said. "Provided there is time for the 180-day required notice."

Mayor John Rowswell advised councillors not to put the question on a ballot.

"You could lose your seats over this," the mayor said. "Putting it on a ballot will make it the highest priority issue in the election.... We're not ready to devote that much time to it. It's a distraction."

Ward 5 Councillor David Celetti agreed that the question should not be put to a public vote.

Celetti said that councillors were elected as leaders and had been effective leaders when they decided not to allow stores to open on Boxing Day.

Celetti, Rowswell and Ward 6 Councillor Frank Manzo voted against placing the Boxing Day question on the next municipal ballot.

Ward 4 Councillor Lorena Tridico declared a pecuniary interest and did not vote.

Ward 1 Councillor James Caicco was away on vacation and could not attend tonight's meeting.

Sheehan, Lou Turco (Ward 4), Bryan Hayes (Ward 3), Ozzie Grandinetti (Ward 6), Susan Myers (Ward 2), Frank Fata (Ward 5), Steve Butland (Ward 1) and Pat Mick (Ward 3) all voted to place the question on the ballot.

"We're putting the question to the people to put it to rest," said Sheehan. "It also happens to be an opportunity to engage people."

Sheehan said he was looking forward to listening to debates about the issue over coffee at Tim Hortons, at dinner tables and in the malls.

If more than 50 percent of the City's population of eligible voters turn out to vote on the question and more than 50 percent of those voters choose an option (Boxing Day open or Boxing Day closed) then that decision will be enacted for at least four years plus 180 days, said Bottos.

If there's not a clear majority vote, then City Council's previous decision to close stores on Boxing day will stand.

"Council will have to pass a bylaw no later than early May of 2010 to meet the 180-day requirement set out in Section 8.1 [of the Municipal Elections Act]," Bottos said.

The question itself, in the form of a draft bylaw, will come back to City Council for approval before that time.