While Toronto has many shopping districts worth a visit, a proposal to make the entire city an official tourist area goes too far. Such a designation – now possible under the powers granted in the new City of Toronto Act – would allow stores everywhere to open on statutory holidays except Christmas, but Toronto tourism officials have not made a convincing case for it.
Shopping is already allowed on statutory holidays in Toronto's existing designated tourist zones, such as downtown Yonge St., Yorkville and Harbourfront. An argument can be made that stores within those areas have an unfair advantage over other downtown outlets, some just a few blocks away, which must remain shut on statutory holidays.
But the best way to remedy that inequity is a second option being considered by the city – a tourism designation for the entire core, roughly bounded by Dovercourt Rd., Dupont St. and Bayview Ave. This approach would cover the main areas frequented by tourists without triggering a backlash in surrounding cities like Mississauga, which has already expressed concern that its retailers would face unfair competition if all of Toronto were designated as a tourist zone. It might ask the province to allow it to do the same. That would start the snowball rolling through the whole province.
It seems wiser to focus change on Toronto's core.
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