Sweet load of nothing

In legislature on May 28th, Vancouver-Fairview MLA Gregor Robertson introduced an initiative to compensate Cambie Street businesses suffering due to Canada Line construction.

As reported in the May 15th issue of Tooth and Dagger, more than thirty businesses have closed on Cambie as a direct result of construction. Remaining stores claim losses between 40 and 70 percent . Before legislature adjourned until October, Robertson proposed a private member’s bill titled the Small Business Fairness and Protection Act.

Under the Act, the provincial government would provide businesses with grants equivalent to their property taxes. “Property tax has gone up 20 percent this year,” stated Robertson, “while business has gone down.” The Act also includes a provision for the government to grant emergency, interest-free loans to failing businesses.

The bill, however, did not get far. When contacted on June 7th, Robertson said, “The reaction was absurd. The government is in total denial.” Despite major media coverage of the Cambie closures on May 28th, Minister of Transportation Kevin Falcon responded to the proposal with, “We don’t pretend there’s not an impact, but the fact of the matter is that there’s no difference in the number of empty businesses today than there was before this project started. It hasn’t changed by one.”

Now that legislature is adjourned until the fall,

Robertson has little expectation for the Small Business Fairness and Protection Act. “Realistically, there’s not much hope,” he admitted. “In six years, [the government] hasn’t passed a single private member’s bill, no matter how good the idea is.”

Instead, said Robertson, change is going to have to come from the grassroots. “I can’t do anything until October at best,” he stated. “It’ll be a ground campaign here in Vancouver to ramp up pressure.” Meanwhile, Robertson hopes to meet with Carole Taylor, Finance Minister and Langara MLA, who holds roughly half of the suffering businesses in her riding.

Elsewhere, rumours of a class-action lawsuit are already circulating. “It is a possibility,” said Robertson, “but it’s a sad sign if it comes to that level of desperation. We hope it doesn’t have to be forced into the courts.”

Until legislature resumes, the small businesses of Cambie Street are on their own. Construction is only now commencing the “big dig” on Cambie, meaning the neighbourhood has not yet experienced the worst. “Given the pressure the businesses are under,” said Robertson, “we’ll probably lose a bunch more in the months to come. There’s no sign of relief in sight.”