Open big-box stores frustrates small firms

Officials won’t answer why shopping restrictions aren’t applied evenly

Small business owners say Toronto’s lockdown restrictions are continuing to unfairly restrict small businesses while allowing big-box stores to remain open.

Two flower shops in the same neighbourhood were visited by bylaw enforcement officers on Friday and told they couldn’t display flowers and plants outside their stores.

Yang, the owner of Yang’s Flower Market on Avenue Road, said an officer told him that if he didn’t put his flower displays inside the store, he could be fined up to $10,000. Yang, who only gave one name, said he asked the officer about other stores allowed to sell flowers, like garden centres, and asked him to explain the difference but didn’t get a satisfactory answer.

“It’s not fair at all,” he said, adding that the shop is doing everything they can to stay safe, but it’s frustrating to be hit by restrictions that don’t apply to garden centres and other businesses.

Jasmine Nicholson, the owner of Jong Young Flower Market just steps away from Yang’s, had the same experience — she said she was told that their outdoors display had to be taken inside. She said when she asked the bylaw officer about garden centres, he didn’t have an answer for her.

“Why are we so different?” said Nicholson.

She said she supports having restrictions in place to keep the city safe, but doesn’t see how it’s fair for small flower shops to be prevented from selling flowers outdoors, when someone can buy flowers at a big store’s garden centre.

“I’m really tired of this,” she said. “It’s very frustrating.”

According to the city’s web page on COVID-19 restrictions for retail stores and shopping malls, garden centres and plant nurseries can remain open, with indoor shopping by appointment only. Outdoor markets including farmer’s markets and holiday markets are permitted with restrictions.

Most other retail operators can be open for curbside pickup or delivery only, according to the page, and in-person shopping is not allowed.

The City of Toronto media relations didn’t immediately provide more details about bylaw enforcement and flower shops when contacted by the Star.

This is the latest example of confusion about what’s allowed and what isn’t under the new “grey” lockdown measures in Toronto.

Business owners and industry leaders have expressed frustration about big-box stores staying open and selling non-essential goods alongside groceries and other essential items. Meanwhile small specialty stores must remain closed and rely on online shopping and curbside pickup.

“Everybody has to be treated the same way,” Nicholson said.