A Costco In Canada Just Got Slapped With A $5,000 Fine For Selling Non-Essential Items

This wasn't on the shopping list.
Senior Writer

A Costco Canada location recently got slapped with a massive fine for not following COVID-19 rules set out by the province.

In a COVID-19 enforcement update from Manitoba, shared on November 27, it was revealed that a Costco in the province received a $5,000 ticket.

A day earlier, the location on McGillivray Avenue in Winnipeg was caught selling non-essential items.

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$5,000 the fine a Costco location in Canada got

When asked during a press conference about businesses not following the rules, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer was very clear.

"We're at a critical juncture. We need adherence to this now," Dr. Brent Roussin said.

Since the province is in the "critical" response level, retailers can only sell essential items in-store.

Non-essential products can be sold online and by phone for delivery or pick up.

"These orders are in place to save Manitobans' lives. An organization or individuals trying to find ways around it need to understand you're putting Manitobans at risk," said Dr. Roussin.

Recently, people and businesses in the province racked up more than $126,000 of COVID-19 fines in a single week.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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