Quebec's Minister of Health and Social Services has
issued an order allowing
certain commercial retail establishments to extend their operating
hours on weekdays and Saturdays, while requiring many retail
establishments to close on Sundays.
Dated March 30, 2020, the Order was issued pursuant to powers granted by
order-in-council on March 29, 2020 allowing the Minister of Health
and Social Services to take a number of measures under section 123
of the
Public Health Act, including ordering any
actions that may be necessary to safeguard public health.
The Change in Operating Hours
The Order follows a statement by Premier Legault on March 30,
2020, the French version of which provided that "tous le mois
d'avril les commerces vont être fermée le
Dimanche". Properly translated, this means that stores must be
closed on Sundays throughout April. However, the English text of
his statement provided that "businesses will now be closed on
Sundays", a much broader
