No Sunday shopping in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotians voted against allowing Sunday shopping in a plebiscite. Unofficial results show that 55 per cent voted against Sunday shopping while 45 per cent were in favour.

The greatest support for an extra day of shopping was in the Halifax area where more than 62,000 people voted in favour of the idea.

In Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the No side won. There were 25,553 votes against Sunday shopping and 23,250 for it.

Results coming in from the province's rural communities indicated those voters largely opposed Sunday shopping.

A second question on the ballot asked voters about the frequency of Sunday shopping.

In the Halifax area there are 54,887 voters who want Sunday shopping every week, and 48,018 voters who want to allow it six Sundays before Christmas.

The province's justice minister Michael Baker said the issue has now been put to rest for the remainder of his government's mandate.

Polling stations throughout Nova Scotia were packed Saturday as voters lined up to elect municipal governments and decide whether the province should adopt Sunday shopping.

Observers believe that the plebiscite on Sunday shopping is what drove people to vote Saturday and at advance polls.

More than twice as many voters cast ballots in advance polls compared to the last municipal election.

Polling had shown most of the support for Sunday shopping year round is in urban areas.

The ballot asked voters:

Should there be Sunday shopping in retail businesses now not permitted to be open on Sunday? Yes or No.

And, if there is to be Sunday shopping, should it be on every Sunday or only the six Sundays immediately before Christmas?

A plebiscite is binding only if the authority that calls for the vote pledges to follow the results.