Anti-masker threatens staff at Toronto store after refusing safety protocols

A Toronto shop owner says she's received a wave of support after sharing surveillance footage of a customer refusing to wear her mask in the store. 

On Tuesday afternoon, a woman entered the Scarborough Town Centre location of Sukoshi Mart: a lifestyle store selling  Japanese snacks, skincare, and beauty products. 

According to owner Linda Dang, who was not present at the time of the incident, the woman refused to comply with Sukoshi Mart's health protocols, ignoring the store manager's request to sanitize her hands and have her temperature checked. 

Instead, she pushed her way into the store and asked to speak to the owner. She then refused a business card with Dang's information and began filming the store and staff, threatening to call the police.

Someone threatened staff at Sukoshi Mart after refusing to wear a mask in the store - 📹 Sukoshi Mart https://t.co/RqztijJu3B #Toronto #SukoshiMart #FaceMask pic.twitter.com/tUkY7OGujj

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 7, 2021

"The worst part was that our manager was trying to walk away and keep a distance," says Dang, who was alerted about the situation shortly after the incident.  

"The store is really small, and they were basically cornered." 

Dang says that, since sharing the video on her Instagram story, the store has received hundreds of messages in support of her health policy.

Sukoshi Mart has had similar situations happen before. One person threatened to cough directly on items at the store in Square One before security was called. 

Dang says it's particularly stressful since the shop deals with skincare and makeup. 

"We don't allow testers but we're still fighting customers to not swatch products on themselves directly for their own safety," she says.  

"It's a continuous battle to remind customers. When they're being defensive and abrasive, it's definitely wearing us down." 

But despite the extra steps to stay safe, Sukoshi Mart and other non-essential businesses have been rewarded with a third temporary closure. 

A day after the incident, Sukoshi Mart looks set to be forced to close both its locations. Just two weeks after being opening for in-store shopping following months of lockdown, non-essential retail stores are expected to be forced shut once more under a new stay-at-home order set to be announced today.