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[r= Citizen December 17, » EDITORIAL Christmas Hurting Ontario retailers are hurting and they are hurting bai Even though the Chnstmas shopping season is suppos- edly in full bloom, the retail industry was sent reeling in the last two weeks with the announcement that 162 Town and Country stores will be closed by the end of March and another 60 stores in the Ayre's ciilin are toast ai the end of this month And these may be just the up of the ice-berg. One retail gnalyst said last Week that "several chains--includMg household names--will go out of business." He likened the situation 10 a "camage." Strong words . But even with stores dropping like so many domThos from one end of Ontano 10 another, the provincial govern ment has declined to soften hts stance on the issue of Sunday shopping As recently as last week, Premier Bob Race flatly declined # request from retailers 10 extend Sunday shop ping a least through the usually slow months of January and February Ideally, they would like 10 see Sunday shopping become year-round reality in this province Whether Sunday shopping would turn into the salvation of the retail segtor in Ontano is & debatgbic point. Chances are the lack of consumer confidence, the number of unem ployed and a host of other recession related factors have resulicd in the closing of many shop doors But the situation has reached a point of desperation" where anything 1s worth trying, and that includes Sunday shopping. Clearly. store operators and the general public wag it. Yet, thf provincial government persists in its ap wide that somehow it knows what is best for the public agd the store owners who are in a despéTate struggle to stay alive. Xgt in a cunotis move, perhaps only explainable by the premier himself, thé government saw the light for the month of December and waved the regulations 0 allow store owners to stay opep for the-three Sundays before How a government Can say "no, no, no" for 11 months of the year, yet wm around in December and say OR for thre days defies the imagination One wonders just how many stores have 10 go down, how many malls have to close, how many maln streets hawe 10 suffer before the provincial government gets the message that the patient is in gritical condition and the dis case isfaulh Retailers have tried just about everything 10 convince the government to make the change, La week, the Dylex chain (Town and Coufitry) sent the government a cheque for $865,000. That's the amount of provincial sales thx the chain's 799 stores tollected on the previous two Sundays. "It is not realistic 10 expect that all the retail woes in Ontario would disappear if shops were allowed to stay open oo Sundays year-round. But it wouldn't hurt, and if it helped even a few weather these miserable times, it would be wosth it. Peghaps even more important, it might fhow the province that Mr. Rae is listening 10 people and "pre pared 10 do away with silly laws that have their roots in the fluffy ideological thinking of the NDR of by-gone years And finally, the most fundamental reasog. What right does any government have 10 tell & shop owner when 10 be open and when 10 be closed? Is this a function of govern- eal? Of course not Merry Christmas! Here's a photo we've been holding batk, and Anne Maryan, one of the organizers of C "y just for this occasion! About & month ago, the C y Hall's C a Citizen photographer this happy bazaar. AN thie would like 10 wish every. 'family portrait' of Santa , his best olf, "one a vely, very Merry Christmas! 3 a LETTERS TO SANTA "T have tried to be a got girl." Letters to Santa from S.A. Cawker, Grade 2 Dear Sanita Claus . This year | would like a ony pagsery newbom doll. | have tried bea good in JHow are you? -- Is they gnow coming down har] I'll ry 10 leave 'Qui some milk and cok es ' Love, Sara Davis. Dear Santa Claus: I want 50 presents for Christmas.* | will tell you want a cat. | want 10 tell you | was G I will leave milk co Jasmine McLean. Dear Santa; Christmas and a Barbie for Christmas. | would like a play dog for Christmas, Santa. | would geometry for Christmas How is it going up there? Me and my sister would like a Jot of things. We are goifig to leave cookies and, milk for you. Good bye for now. Love, Chrissy Drapak. Dear Santa: | want Costume Barbie and «Grace, my walking pup, Wedding Day Midge, School Cool Barbie and what | winn Nintendo, race and chase fhme ger, gameboy and Dr. Mario. | forget the rest. When you come 10 our house, you will see a note that says, keep the rgin deer out of the pool By Graham Dick, Dear Santa: I want 3 dog and a lamb. | 1 would like precious places. Can | please have a gewing machine. | would like an ice cream maker. [ will give you a drink and something to cat. How are you doing? Are you working hard? I'm doing fine. From Rebecca Cruickshank. Dear Santa: 1 would like a Barbie van for Wedding Day Ariel. 1 want 10 tell you I've tried to be good this year. If | haven't, | am very sorry. | also want a keyboard. | will leave you milk and cookies, You're very nice. | want peace on earth, and health instead of sickness. How are you? | am fine. Kyleigh Algar. ' Water Streep, So 1 lished by - Ont. 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