Sunday Shopping in Nova Scotia

[galianomama]

where the hell are these people living????

having lived in n.s. for a number of years, i thought this stuff would be long-ago resolved. wow. what do you guys do on a sunday???? talk to each other, go for walks??? no malls open??? god forsake us.

give me the scoop you blue nosers you. 8)

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

What a wonderful thing! I didn't realize Nova Scotia was so far ahead of us in this way... can't help but think, what a better world if we all returned to having no shopping on Sunday. People would, as you say, talk to each other, go for walks, go fishing, do whatever. Hard to believe there's a holdout in the mass rush to avarice, but I'm glad to hear it. Thanks for posting this Galliano. Good on ya, Nova Scotia.

 

[peapod]

I knew this to, because my x husband went on course in nova scotia a few times, and was always agiated by the fact that sunday was sunday there...but once he sent me 1 dozen live lobsters when he was there...it was my birthday...he was always sucking up to me I like a day of rest.

 

[galianomama]

hag get this - you can still go and have a beer and use the casino...too cool eh??? but you can't go to a department store, a food chain store (little one's don't count) or a pharmacy.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Works for me. We could all benefit from having our slower Sundays given back to us. Mind you, I don't go shopping on Sundays anyway (not for religious reasons but simply because I like the concept of having a Sunday kind of Sunday) (if that makes any sense at all....).

 

[galianomama]

yeah, i am with you on this one.....but is it because of the fact that i know if i want to, i can sneak out to the hardware store, or go to a department store, whatever. if i didn't have that choice, would i be quite so receptive to it???

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Well, we used to do it, though, and people survived handily enough. When one knows the stores will be closed on Sunday, one simply plans accordingly, I think it would quickly become habit once again to get things bought on Saturday.

Right now, we know that we are just plain out of luck if we realize at two in the morning that we have forgotten a prescription drug refill. Same would happen with the shopping, people would get used to it in no time, and the minor ache of the occasional forgotten item that must wait until Monday would be nothing compared to the huge benefit of reclaiming a day of rest.

I think we did ourselves a great disservice when we copied the Americans and brought in Sunday shopping.

Oh, and I don't know about you, but when I have forgotten an item that, had I possesssion of it, would have required work on my part, I am usually pretty pleased with myself for having forgotten it!

 

[galianomama]

good point. but why would casinos and beer parlours not fall under the same guidelines??? can't figure that one out, personally.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

good point. but why would casinos and beer parlours not fall under the same guidelines??? can't figure that one out, personally.

Well, I wouldn't have them open if I was, say, Dictator of Nova Scotia, but casinos and bars are places where you can go for relaxation, just like golf or tennis or whatever, therefore they fit the 'Sunday day of rest' concept. One aspect of that which appeals to me is, it takes away the mildly religious taint of Sunday closures.

 

[bevvyd]

Having lived in Nova Scotia I am too familiar with ALL the things that make them special. First there is NO sunday shopping, doesn't help if working on your car that you need Monday to Friday and you need a part does it? Before I left many years ago there was an article in the newspaper about the city council voting down self serve gas stations, seems they didn't feel that Nova Scotians were 'ready' for this new technology. Then we have the $1 admittance into a pub which closes at midnight. It is a strangle little province and it resembles NOTHING like the westcoast.

I've always been in favor of Sunday shopping, not being a religious sort, as it helps the economy and gives people more of a chance to put in hours.

But then not all religions take Sunday as their sabbath, so why not.

 

[peapod]

yes I thought you would be in favor of sunday shopping bevvy In fact you are probally up for 24/7 365 a year

 

[bevvyd]

I'm only doing my part here on earth by shopping and keeping everyone employed. I can't figure out any other way to do this type of humanitarian aide.

 

[peapod]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 8O

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Re: RE: Sunday Shopping in Nova Scotia

I've always been in favor of Sunday shopping, not being a religious sort.

Funny, I've always been against Sunday shopping, not being a religious sort.

What I am saying is, a person can be against Sunday shopping and not even be 'a religious sort'. I am aware that the whole thing about Sunday closures started as a religious thing, but I maintain there are other valid reasons to have the closures. Hell, I don't care if they made the day of closures on Friday, Saturday, Wednesday, whatever.

As for a car breaking down and a person needing a part, well what if your car breaks down at 11 pm on a weekday and you have to get to work the next day?

 

[bevvyd]

Oh I hear ya Haggis, one can be religious and be for sunday shopping and vica versa. I wasn't implying that if one is against Sunday shopping then they must be religious. Sorry if I came across that way.

And yes if one needs a part at 11 pm at night then they would have to get the part the next day, but personally I found my life has improved as I'm not trying to cram so much into a Saturday and projects can be taken out over 2 days vs 1 day. But that is just me and how it affects my life and my family is all.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Re: RE: Sunday Shopping in Nova Scotia

Oh I hear ya Haggis, one can be religious and be for sunday shopping and vica versa. I wasn't implying that if one is against Sunday shopping then they must be religious. Sorry if I came across that way.

And yes if one needs a part at 11 pm at night then they would have to get the part the next day, but personally I found my life has improved as I'm not trying to cram so much into a Saturday and projects can be taken out over 2 days vs 1 day. But that is just me and how it affects my life and my family is all.

Certainly there are advantages to Sunday shopping, but overall I have seen mostly negative results over the years. I know that years ago, people simply bought what they needed on Saturday then spent Sunday going about using those purchases.

In the end, in spite of the inconveniences, I think we'd all benefit from Sunday closures. the closures will never happen, mind you, but it is nice to dream.

I'd be interested in hearing from our European counterparts about Sunday closures. I seem to recall just about everything shut down on Sunday. Is it still like that? I recall some hotels, during the week, even shut down for lunch... the whole hotel would just be closed, a polite little sign on the locked door asking you to return after the lunch time (that was just in small towns, mind you). I think that maybe Europeans have kept away from adopting our all-encompassing North American work and go! go! go! ethic. They take more time to just 'be'. Again, I don't know if it still holds true, though.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Well on Sundays a lot of shops are indeed closed, but it's getting less and less, and Sunday being the day of rest is slowly disappearing. But again, you won't find many shops open on Sundays. In my town, once a month the shops are open on a Sunday, don't know why. They are still discussing whether shops should be open or not on Sundays. I do know however that a lot of shopkeepers close their shops out of personal reasons, just to have a day off, and from that point of view, Sunday is the best day to close the shop, for Sunday has always been the day of resting.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Thanks Rick. Do people feel it is a terrific inconvenience or do they simply work around the fact that things will be closed on that one day?

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Hmmm it depends ... I think most people accept it, because it's a day on which people can relax, visit their family etc. ... However, the society is becoming more and more work-minded: for a lot of people, already everything just resolves around work, or spending their money. So, more and more people like to see the shops open on Sundays, to go shopping. So it depends. However, in especially Christian communities, Sunday will always be the day on which shops and businesses are closed.

 

[hollaback]

Well I am from Nova Scotia and I am completely against Sunday Shopping. It is not because I am religious, but the idea that there is a day when you don't have to worry about work, or shopping lists, is kinda nice. Instead your biggest decision is whether you should go fishing, or hang out with some friends. I agree with Haggis, having sunday as just sunday is nice.
Honestly, if you are not capable of getting what needs to be done in six days, you don't deserve a seventh day to do it. How hard is it to pick up milk before sunday, you have six days, with some stores open 24 hours. And besides, I am pretty sure that most mechanics are closed on Saturdays or only open till 3pm anyways, so I am pretty sure they would be closed on Sunday too, so if your car needed to be fixed you would still have to wait till monday anyway.
I just think that it is really sad that our society is so focused on making money, and shopping, "keeping the economy running"...I think that it is necessary for there to be a day off. I think that we are better off than the rest of you, we have a day set aside each week to smell the roses, you have to fit it into your schedule...so who really has the inconvience.