Late last year, multiple record stores in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood were fined thousands of dollars by the province of Quebec over their weekend opening hours. While the city indicated earlier this year that changes were coming, it appears things haven't changed all that much as one store stares down another hefty sum.
Today, Montreal's Phonopolis shared on Instagram that it was served notice of fines in "amounts close to $3,000" after opening its store yesterday (August 27) for the first time in five months following COVID-19-related closures.
Store staff wrote, "During these times, customers and other people in the community have asked what the latest developments were concerning the massive and anachronistic fines we — and other small shops in the mile-end — received in the past year."
In late 2019, Phonopolis and fellow record stores Sonorama, La Rama and Death of Vinyl were fined for breaking a provincial law that states businesses can remain open as early 8 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. It also notes mandatory days off for statutory holidays, including New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Canada Day and more.
As Phonopolis explained, "Realistically, we assumed that due to the severe recession and increasing small business closure caused by COVID, these fines would be put on hold, or dismissed entirely, for the sake of maintaining a degree of functionality and security in a time where most of us are trying to maintain while still being able to pay for essentials."
As the store then revealed, "this was an incorrect assumption." Phonopolis's post features a snap of a document "confirming the province's intent to prosecute us for amounts close to $3,000."
"'Draconian' would be the word that best describes the current approach of the Legault government and its Ministries toward the situation," the store continued. "There's a rich irony that all of this stems from the Ministry of Economy and 'Innovation.' The repeated message we have received from the CAQ is that penalty should occur before dialogue."
Phonopolis staff added that "Despite trying to open a line of communication with Pierre Fitzgibbon or anyone in the CAQ regarding an independent record store's role in the health of a community's social fabric, our appeals have remain unanswered.
"Some have suggested that we start a fundraiser for all the shops affected by this but, for Phonopolis, we believe there are many other causes happening in Quebec that should take financial precedent. We also believe that paying these fines would be set a dangerous precedent moving forward."
You can see the store's post in full down below.
Today, Montreal's Phonopolis shared on Instagram that it was served notice of fines in "amounts close to $3,000" after opening its store yesterday (August 27) for the first time in five months following COVID-19-related closures.
Store staff wrote, "During these times, customers and other people in the community have asked what the latest developments were concerning the massive and anachronistic fines we — and other small shops in the mile-end — received in the past year."
In late 2019, Phonopolis and fellow record stores Sonorama, La Rama and Death of Vinyl were fined for breaking a provincial law that states businesses can remain open as early 8 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. It also notes mandatory days off for statutory holidays, including New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Canada Day and more.
As Phonopolis explained, "Realistically, we assumed that due to the severe recession and increasing small business closure caused by COVID, these fines would be put on hold, or dismissed entirely, for the sake of maintaining a degree of functionality and security in a time where most of us are trying to maintain while still being able to pay for essentials."
As the store then revealed, "this was an incorrect assumption." Phonopolis's post features a snap of a document "confirming the province's intent to prosecute us for amounts close to $3,000."
"'Draconian' would be the word that best describes the current approach of the Legault government and its Ministries toward the situation," the store continued. "There's a rich irony that all of this stems from the Ministry of Economy and 'Innovation.' The repeated message we have received from the CAQ is that penalty should occur before dialogue."
Phonopolis staff added that "Despite trying to open a line of communication with Pierre Fitzgibbon or anyone in the CAQ regarding an independent record store's role in the health of a community's social fabric, our appeals have remain unanswered.
"Some have suggested that we start a fundraiser for all the shops affected by this but, for Phonopolis, we believe there are many other causes happening in Quebec that should take financial precedent. We also believe that paying these fines would be set a dangerous precedent moving forward."
You can see the store's post in full down below.
