Seasonal

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is considering whether to loosen a law that limits holiday store openings and says he agrees with one business owner who has complained that some shops shouldn't be forced to close while casinos and liquor outlets stay open.

Three Mont-Sainte-Anne area dépanneurs help feed ski regulars Quebec convenience store owner Alain Royer is no expert skier.    But he’s a wizard when it comes to zigzagging through the challenges of running three winter-dependent stores at the foot of Mont-Sainte-Anne, the largest ski resort in Eastern Canada, all called Marché Mont-Ste-Anne.    “We’re like ski shops and other seasonal operators,” says Royer. “If there’s no snow, we’re in trouble.” Tourists, he adds, make up roughly two-thirds of total store revenues. Nearly three-quarters of those sales happen during peak ski season from December to March.