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“Winterlude’s last day was on Family Day, for example.” Stores were closed despite having crowds all around.

Q: What businesses would be affected?

A: The Glebe BIA runs along Bank Street from the Queensway to the Bank Street bridge, with some smaller areas such as Pretoria Street. Restaurants can already open on holidays so the change would only affect stores.

Q: What counts as a tourist attraction?

A: Ontario regulations require that all the retail businesses that stay open on a holiday must be within two kilometres of a tourist attraction. And that can be: “natural attractions or outdoor recreational attractions; historical attractions; and cultural, multi-cultural or educational attractions.”

If the tourist attraction is seasonal, then businesses have to justify how this fits with their wish to stay open. This is not likely an issue with the canal or museum.

As well, at least 25 per cent of the retail businesses in the area must be “directly associated with the tourist attraction or rely on tourists visiting the attraction for business on a holiday.”

All criteria for operating near a tourist attraction are online here.

Q: If the Glebe BIA gets permission, does holiday shopping spread across the city?

A: That’s unlikely, says the area’s councillor, David Chernushenko.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they (other areas) felt, ‘Hey, if they can get that status, why not us too?’ ” he said.

The catch is whether other neighbourhoods can claim to have a major tourist attraction within two kilometres, he said. “I doubt it would be the case for many BIAs.”