With almost two weeks to go before the city leaves its current lockdown, Toronto's small businesses are begging the province to modify the lockdown and let them re-open for business.
Using the hashtag #ThinkOutsideTheBigBox, local shops and retailers have been posting photos of how long they've been open and how many people they employ, hoping the province will modify restrictions and allow them to open up for in-person shopping.*
Ever since the city shut down on November 23, plenty of people have criticized the decision to allow stores like Walmart to stay open while smaller retailers can only offer curbside pick-up or delivery.
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Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) across the city have been posting photos of small businesses in their neighbourhoods that want a modified lockdown.
Shops from Leslieville, Eglinton, the Junction, and elsewhere in the city have been sharing their stories using #ThinkOutsideTheBigBox.
Larger stores like Walmart and Costco are allowed to stay open because they sell essential items like groceries, but they can also sell their non-essential items at the same time.
Premier Doug Ford has admitted that it's "not fair" that these shops can't open for in-person shopping, but he said it would be a "logistical nightmare" to try and stop box stores from selling non-essential goods.
Toronto and Peel region's current lockdown ends on December 21.
*This article has been updated.