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The London Drugs store on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside will close on Feb. 1, the retailer said in a statement Thursday.
The decision to close the pharmacy and retail center, which has been open in the Woodward's building since 2009, was not taken lightly, London Drugs president and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman told CBC Radio. On the coast.
“The cumulative effect of continued vandalism, theft, violence against employees and customers… coupled with the enormous increase in costs required to keep our people safe and our products protected has just become unsustainable,” he said.
The store has lost tens of millions of dollars since opening, Mahlman said, adding that the retailer's first location opened a few blocks away in 1945.
Malman said Vancouver police have been great at focusing on policing the Downtown Eastside, but “unfortunately, it's just not enough to turn around the neighborhood, and we don't see that changing anytime soon.”
The closures will affect 90 employees who were offered positions at nearby stores, he added.
“Devastating News”
Vancouver councilor Peter Meisner, who lives in the area, called the decision “devastating news for the community” in an interview.
“This is one of the last available stores in the area. People come here for the pharmacy, for the mail,” the councilor said.
He said the closure speaks to larger public safety issues and people not getting the support they need to deal with mental health and addiction issues.
It also means people living in the neighborhood will have to move further away or rely on convenience stores, Meissner said.
“They have very high prices and I think vulnerable people will pay more.”
London Drugs has stores in more than 35 major markets in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and sells online throughout Canada.
“Really annoying”
Jess Ketchum, co-founder of the Save Our Street Coalition, said the store's closure had been a long time coming and he was concerned about the store's longevity for several years.
The coalition includes retailers London Drugs, Lululemon, Aritzia and Save-on-Foods, and held its first press conference at the same London pharmacy, which is set to close in October 2023.
Ketchum said Malman, who is another co-founder of the coalition, has long expressed concerns about the safety of employees and customers due to “crime, violence and civil unrest” in the surrounding area.
“The message this sends to governments at all levels [is] that's enough, guys. We need to really step up and do something about these problems,” Ketchum said.
Ketchum applauded the efforts of Vancouver police in the neighborhood, who said the incident reduction in violent crime following the deployment of the task force, and that these efforts must continue.
He added that a full continuum of care for people with mental illness is needed, including detoxification, treatment and recovery.
Some Downtown Eastside business owners say Vancouver police's new task force appears to be helping reduce street disturbances and crime. But as Leanne Yu reports, advocates say it's a temporary solution.
Maggie Lord, board president of the nearby Carnegie Community Center Association, said the closing of the London drug store was another blow to the Downtown Eastside.
She said the store's Canada Post branch has served as a critical lifeline for the area after post office closure at Main and Hastings streets in Chinatown.
“There are a lot of elderly people in our area. You see people with walkers and motorized vehicles,” she said. “The opportunity to go to Chinatown was convenient. [London Drugs] it's less convenient, but at least pretty close.
“So this double whammy is really infuriating.”
Lord said the city, province and federal authorities are not listening to the needs of the community, and that residents simply cannot leave an area that has resources and support for them.
She said she would be very happy if London Drugs could work with community groups and find a way to support them and build more housing there – which she believes is the underlying problem at the heart of the community unrest.
“If people want Vancouver and this area to improve, then we need housing and businesses to support that,” Lord said.
