'Absolutely force us to close': Saskatoon business seeking donations to pay $18K in fines
CTV
Julianna Tan says her world was turned upside down when she got a letter this summer summoning her to court.
Julianna Tan says her world was turned upside down when she got a letter this summer summoning her to court.
"It's like pure chaos," Tan said. "I'm a very regular person. I'm just a citizen here in Saskatoon trying to run a business."
Tan was being summoned to court to resolve a bylaw dispute between a business she co-owns — the Little Market Box and the city — which resulted in a fine of more than $18,000 for operating without a business license.
The Little Market Box in Riversdale sells a variety of artisanal products from more than 75 local vendors. Tan says she operates under thin margins and would have to close the store to pay the fine by Nov. 15.
"We're trying to be creative and find ways of how we can make it," she said. "A lot of us are kind of month by month, so I made it very clear that a fine of this magnitude would absolutely force us to close our doors."
Tan moved The Little Market Box and another business, Those Girls at the Market, to the location on 20th Street West roughly two years ago after outgrowing her previous building.
According to city bylaw, businesses are required by law to obtain a new license prior to moving because the license is tied to the physical location.
