Yorkdale Mall catches flak for signs appearing to ban construction workers

If Toronto isn’t the brunt of enough Us versus Them stories, here’s more confirmation of snooty behavior, right out of the Fact Is Stranger than Fiction Department.

Yorkdale Mall, the self-proclaimed Mall of Choice for those who like their lattes with just the right amount of foam, has received a lot of flak in the Toronto media in recent days for signage that appeared to warn contractors off its premises. At least, the construction workers who are doing the mall’s $330-million makeover.

The posted notice read: “No workers are allowed inside the mall during construction work hours. The food court (or) anywhere else inside the mall is NOT permitted anymore. If workers are caught inside the mall they will be removed and dealt with accordingly.”

What do they have in mind? Tasers? Riot Hoses?

The problem seems to be image. If the Range Rover-driving Recently Landed Gentry were to mix with the riff-raff who actually built their palaces of materialistic splendor, who knows what might happen? The thought of dust on Versace shopping bags, or the faint odour of sawdust (eau de bois), might put them off their lunchtime caviar and ice wine.

Or what about the prospect of an illicit relationship developing between a burly, muscled Drywaller and a Pilates Princess? Yorkdale might be subject to lawsuits from jealous husbands should muddy tire tracks from Dodge Ram 4×4’s be discovered on their capacious Forest Hill driveways. Nobody wants to come home a contractor-cuckold after a tough day of losing other people’s money in the markets.

With mall management in full damage control now that the word has leaked to mass media (OMG! The SUN?!! CITY News?!!), Yorkdale Mall general manager Claire Santamaria now claims “the harsh wording was a misinterpretation of a request to EllisDon to keep construction ‘contaminants’ such as grease, tar, diesel and chemicals out of public eating area. All are welcome at Yorkdale including the construction crews working on our expansion and always have been.” Yorkdale has reportedly “set up direct access to the food court for construction workers from an underground parking lot, so they can dust off or change before eating.” What about de-lousing for fleas and disease-carrying insects?

And there is THIS on Twitter.

You can’t fool us Ms. Santamaria; we know a shun when we see one. And as far as EllisDon is concerned, you can put your warning notice where The Shun Don’t Shine!

follow John on Twitter   @john_bleasby