Is it legal to require customers to leave their bag at the front of a retail store in Canada?

Gender discrimination by stores is prohibited, across the country, by Provincial Human Rights legislation.

However, it's a real stretch to call that policy discriminatory.

Legal? Yes. Sensible? No.

If I were their insurance company, I would immediately triple their liability premiums based upon that fact that they are intentionally creating risk for themselves by requesting possession of undetermined valuables from total strangers. "Hey, when I gave you my briefcase there was $25,000 inside and now it's gone." or, "My $8,000 purse was damaged by your employee when he threw it on the floor with the others."

as an american who is so totally overridden with all the 'woe is me, this is unfair' stuff down here in our country, i have to say that i think you're pushing things here. and as far as i'm concerned, any store you might enter is, you know, private property...and the owners can have any such rules that they like or think will be best for them and the store. come on, take a break...find something to think about that is a bit more important, okay?

Yes. It's private property. They can include any rules they wish. Same as you can require people entering your home to remove their shoes -- and exclude them from your home if they don't.