If you need to pick up some items on a Sunday in Steinbach, resident Corinne Falk said you can drive right past the big box stores.

"It's like, oh, I'll run to the store and get a few groceries. And, oh no I won't. Nothings open," she said.

There are exceptions for businesses such as restaurants, car repair and drug stores, but generally speaking, places with more than four employees can't open on Sundays.

Steinbach lawyer David Banman wants to change that.

"I think the rules are applied extremely arbitrarily, and I think that's the main problem here. I want to give all businesses the option to be open or closed," he said.

To make that happen, he set up a website pushing to make Sunday shopping a reality and hundreds of people have signed a petition asking for a referendum on the issue to be placed on the ballot in October's upcoming municipal election.

"There's no cost to the citizens," said Banman.

"And city council would actually get to hear what people have to say on the issue."

Coun. John Fehr believes there would be broad support for the idea from citizens, but not from most businesses, which is why he doesn't support the idea of a referendum.

"The pressure would be even more intense to have Sunday opening," said Fehr.

"And so, do we really want to put ourselves in that position? I'm not so sure. When the business people don't want to be open, they don't see the value of it. Why would we want to force them to be open?"

Under provincial legislation, where Sunday shopping is allowed, business owners can decide to be open or closed.

Laura Ebert from Main Bread & Butter Co. said it wouldn't open, no matter what the law allows. The restaurant chooses to stay closed on Sundays now, even though it could open if it wished to.

"Most of the employees that apply here, they apply because they know they have Sundays off," said Ebert. "I know that's what it was like for me."

But people like Corinne Falk want change to come to Steinbach.

"Just do it already," she said.

David Banman plans to present the petitions calling for a referendum at the Steinbach City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 18.