Police spend HOURS watching boutique shop after reopening in defiance of lockdown

By David Menzies
|
December 18, 2020

By David Menzies

I WILL OPEN - CANADA

Are you a small business who is still banned from opening in Canada, but plan to reopen your restaurant, store or gym anyway? Let us know, and we’ll report your breaking story. Simply fill out the form on this page with your details.

Send

Remove Ads

Once you step into Klaudya’s Kloset, you are immediately transported into an atmosphere of beauty and uniqueness. Indeed, this boutique, located in Bolton, Ont., is jam-packed full of unique merchandise. It is Impulse-Buy Central…

But alas, that is part of the problem owner Claudia Rocca faces these days: there are no impulse buys to be had, when she can only legally sell her wares via curb-side service (meaning that shoppers are not allowed into her store to actually gaze upon her merchandise).

Last Sunday, Claudia had had enough. She defiantly opened her store to allow customers in to do their Christmas shopping — December, after all, is her most important sales month of the year.

Naturally, a COVID-Karen ratted her out, and it wasn’t long before Peel Regional Police paid her a visit to slap her with a summons.

The police also warned Claudia that if she dared let another customer into her store, she could face a fine of up to $100,000. An officer also warned her that they would ticket customers shopping in the store, too. ‘Tis the season for ticket quotas…

And the police backed up their words of warning by actually staking out the boutique. At one point last Tuesday, there was a pair of Peel Regional Police SUVs stationed in the parking lot, on the lookout for anyone who would dare venture into Klaudya’s Kloset.

Meanwhile, just a few klicks down the road, the Bolton Walmart remains jam-packed with customers. Apparently, this Wuhan virus is a real piece of work — it loves big box stores, and won’t infect any shoppers there, but it apparently hates small ma and pa operations.

And obviously, crime — as in REAL crime — must be suddenly nonexistent in Peel Region, given that the cops have hours to spend spying on a small boutique…

Sadly, the intimidation tactics have worked: Claudia says that since a $100,000 fine would wipe her out, she has returned to selling her wares via curb service only.

As for her original summons, we think Claudia has suffered enough. So we have arranged for a lawyer to take on Claudia’s case and fight that ludicrous summons. If you would like to help fund this effort with a donation, please visit iWillOpen.com.

In the meantime, we are now left wondering about Premier Doug Ford’s 2018 election campaign slogan of “Ontario: Open for Business.” Given that Klaudya’s Kloset is being fined and harassed while the likes of Walmart and Costco continue to operate unmolested, is it possible Premier Ford meant to say, “Ontario: Open for BIG Business”?

Spread the Word!