AND WHEREAS the Act defines the 26th day of December in each year (Boxing Day) to be a holiday for the purposes of the Act;

AND WHEREAS Boxing Day has traditionally been associated with a unique combination of post Christmas sales events and the return and exchange of traditional Christmas gift merchandise, by definition entailing the need for retail business establishments to be open for business;

AND WHEREAS the Act permits Regional Council to enact a by-law to permit retail businesses to be open on holidays for the maintenance and development of tourism;

AND WHEREAS criteria established under the Act permit the enactment of such a by-law to permit openings on no more than five days annually in connection with special events;

AND WHEREAS Regional Council considers Boxing Day and the activities traditionally associated with it to be a special event;

AND WHEREAS having taken into account the principle that holidays should be maintained as common pause days, Regional Council has determined that to permit retail business establishments to remain open on Boxing Day annually would support the maintenance or development of tourism;

AND WHEREAS the Council of the Regional Council has by resolution on December 18, 1996 approved a by-law to permit retail business establishments to open on the 26th day of December annually;

NOW THEREFORE the Council of The Regional Municipality of Peel hereby enacts as follows:

1. That all retail business establishments located within The Regional Municipality of Peel be permitted to be open on the 26th day of December annually.