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The London Drugs outlet in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside will close Feb. 1, the retailer said in a statement Thursday.
The decision to close the pharmacy and retail location, which has been open in the Woodward’s building since 2009, was not taken lightly, London Drugs President and COO Clint Mahlman told CBC Radio’s On the Coast.
“The cumulative effects of ongoing vandalism, theft, violence against employees and customers … combined with the massive increase in costs it takes to keep our people safe and our products protected, have just become unsustainable,” he said.
The location lost tens of millions of dollars since it opened, Mahlman said, adding that the retailer’s first location was located a few blocks away and opened in 1945.
Mahlman said that Vancouver police had been amazing in focusing on enforcement in the Downtown Eastside, but “sadly it’s just not enough to turn around the neighbourhood, and we don’t see a pathway that it’s going to change anytime soon.”
The closure will affect 90 employees, who have been offered positions in nearby stores, he added.
‘Devastating news’
Vancouver Councillor Peter Meiszner, who lives in the area, called the decision “devastating news for the community” in an interview.
“This is one of the last affordable stores in the neighbourhood. People come here for the pharmacy, for the post office,” the councillor said.
The closure speaks to bigger issues in the neighbourhood of public safety and people who aren’t getting the support that they need for mental health and addiction issues, he said.
It also means people in the neighbourhood will have to go further afield or rely on convenience stores, Meiszner said.
“They have very high prices and I think vulnerable people will pay more.”
London Drugs has stores in more than 35 major markets across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and also sells online across Canada.
‘Really infuriating’
Jess Ketchum, the co-founder of the Save our Street Coalition, said the closure of the store was a long time coming and he had been concerned over the longevity of the store for a few years.
The coalition includes retailers such as London Drugs, Lululemon, Aritzia and Save-on-Foods, and it held its first news conference at the same London Drugs store that is set to close in October 2023.
Ketchum said that Mahlman, who is another co-founder of the coalition, had long expressed concerns over the safety of employees and customers due to the “crime and violence and public disorder” in the neighbourhood.
“The message that this sends to governments at all levels [is] enough is enough folks. We need to really get on and do something about these problems,” Ketchum said.
Ketchum applauded the efforts of Vancouver police in the neighbourhood, who said there was a drop in violent crime following the deployment of a task force, and that those efforts needed to be sustained.
He added that there needs to be a full continuum of care for people with mental illnesses, including detox, treatment and recovery.
Some business owners in the Downtown Eastside say a new dedicated Vancouver police task force appears to be helping to reduce street disorder and crime. But as Leanne Yu reports, advocates say it’s a Band-Aid solution.
Maggie Lord, the president of the board at the nearby Carnegie Community Centre Association, said the closure of the London Drugs was another blow to the Downtown Eastside.
She said the Canada Post location at the store served as a critical lifeline for the neighbourhood following the closure of the post office at Main and Hastings streets in Chinatown.
“We have many seniors in the neighbourhood. You see people with their walkers and their motorized vehicles,” she said. “Being able to go to Chinatown was convenient. [London Drugs] is way less convenient, but at least it’s fairly close.
“So like, this double whammy is really infuriating.”
Lord said that the city, province and feds weren’t listening to the needs of the community, and that it simply wasn’t possible for residents to leave a neighbourhood in which there were resources and support available for them.
She said she would be thrilled if London Drugs could work with community groups and find a way to support them and get more housing built there — which she argues is the core issue that underlies public disorder.
“If people want to see Vancouver improve and see this area improve, then we need housing and businesses to support that,” Lord said.
