A well-known home-based perfumery in Winnipeg’s Wolseley neighbourhood says it is being forced to close after the city told the business it must either apply for commercial zoning or stop welcoming customers into the home.
Michael O’Malley, owner of La Parfumerie, has run the natural perfume business out of his home since 1999. He said the cost of rezoning to a commercial designation is not feasible given the scale of his operation.
“I’m not making enough money to do a commercial zoning like they want me to do,” O’Malley said.
Community Pushes Back
Word of the closure prompted a wave of public support. More than 1,000 people signed an online petition on Change.org calling for the business to be allowed to stay open, according to the petition posted late Sunday afternoon.
City Response Still Pending
The zoning requirement highlights the regulatory hurdles home-based businesses can face as they grow or as city rules around residential and commercial use are enforced. O’Malley’s situation has drawn attention to how such rules apply to long-running home enterprises embedded in their neighbourhoods.
Global News said it reached out to the City of Winnipeg and the area councillor for comment but had not received a response by deadline. It remains unclear whether the city will reconsider the zoning requirement or offer any alternative path for the business to continue operating from the home.
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