Lemonade stand shutdown sparks anger, criticism on social media

Two young girls in Ottawa had a lemonade stand shut down by government officials on the long weekend, which drew the ire of many on social media.

Ottawa, often dubbed the 'city that fun forgot,' hears the unwanted slogan once again

CBC News Posted: Jul 04, 2016 10:57 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 4, 2016

Adela Andrews (left) and her sister Eliza (right) were told to stop selling lemonade along Colonel By Drive. The reaction to the story was swift and mostly anti-NCC. (courtesy of Kurtis Andrews)

The organization in charge of several pieces of land in the National Capital Region shut down a lemonade stand being operated by two young girlson Canada Day long weekend. They didn't have permit.

After making $52, the girls' father said a cyclist told them they weren't allowed to be there, and an official with the National Capital Commission (NCC) later followed with more detailed reasons.

The girls were operating on NCC land, and needed a permit.

The NCCthen shut down the stand.

'Relax a bit': Kid-run lemonade stand shut down by NCC for failing to have permit https://t.co/yRuVBXgauJ #ottnews pic.twitter.com/HfOzxVwh1N
—@CBCOttawa

Thatsparked a rash of negative comments aboutthe NCC'saction.

Critics of the shutdownincluded the former cabinet minister responsible for oversight of the organization.

Seriously: What a bone-headed decision. The NCC should apologize to the girls and invite them to restart their lemonade stand. 3/3
—@PierrePoilievre

@cfedio Spoil sports! NCC should be able to distinguish between two kids lemonade & commercial venture!
—@dnkidd

@CBCOttawa

Great work by the NCC keeping us safe from rounge lemonade stands. One of the agencies top priorities.
—@duminysparling1

@JessDonovan8 @CBCOttawa @NCC_CCN omg ncc needs to get over themselves.
—@gliterfaery

@CBCOttawa OMG, are you kidding me. Maybe they need a Federal or Provincial grant to get their small business going.
—@PatMEnright

@CBCOttawa Nooooo?! Give your head a shake! What a messed up world we live in now. Chill!
—@Serena_writes

@CBCOttawa The @NCC_CCN, never missing a chance to miss a chance.
—@garthoid

Ottawa's oldand unwanted sloganalso returned.

@CBCOttawa the most #Ottawa story of all time. #thecitythatfunforgot
—@jgordonyoung

@CBCOttawa. National capitals: London, Rome, Paris, Berlin and .......... Ottawa, the city that fun forgot
—@KovacsJk

@CBCOttawa town that _ _ _ forgot
—@PhilcoInTO

However, some sided with the cyclist and the NCC.

@CBCOttawa Kids did not come up with this idea on their own- what point is father trying to make? Responsible dad should have followed rules
—@grammagoy

@CBCOttawa Well, the father got the publicity that he was looking for. Think of the chaos if everyone did this.
—@WendellWard3

The NCC did apologize to the girls' father on Monday.

National Capital Commission apologizes to family after shutting down kid-run lemonade stand #ottnews pic.twitter.com/EPXxyAwMPR
—@AshleyBurkeCBC

Cyclists stop to buy lemonade at a stand on Colonel By Drive that was later shut down by the National Capital Commission for failing to have a permit. (Kurtis Andrews)

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