CFIB calls on Vancouver to compensate businesses for roadwork disruptions

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Montreal has become the first city in Canada to start compensating businesses for major roadwork disruptions, leading the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) to ask if it can happen there, why not in Vancouver?

“There is precedent for this,” argues the CFIB’s Richard Truscott. “There’s examples of how this could help businesses right across the Metro Vancouver area and we’re hoping that the city of Vancouver in particular does rise to the challenge.”

He says two out of five CFIB members claim their business has been disrupted by construction over the last five years, and Vancouver is primed to begin construction on a Broadway subway in 2020.

Truscott says Montreal’s reimbursement program maxes out at $30,000 dollars a year. It’s also retroactive to Jan. 1st, 2016.

“At least something’s in place for the smallest of small businesses to make sure they’re not being put out of business, they’re not being negatively impacted to the point where it’s really putting them in a serious pinch. There’s somewhere in the middle that’s reasonable.”

He adds Vancouver taxpayers would have saved a lot of money following a long court battle won by merchants disrupted by Canada Line SkyTrain construction in the years leading up to the 2010 Olympics.

Vancouver merchant hopes Vancouver learns from the past

More than 100 business owners along Vancouver’s Cambie corridor are still part of the class action lawsuit linked to Canada Line construction which started in 2005.

Leonard Schein, the lead plaintiff, says this dispute could have been resolved years ago when TransLink offered to settle out of court.

In September, he was one of three merchants awarded almost $129,000 by a B.C. Supreme Court judge, but he says an appeal has been filed to have that decision overturned.

“We had 39 businesses that went bankrupt. We had a lot of landlords that lost money,” Schein says. “Even TransLink itself offered us $5 million for our losses, but the board of directors appointed by the BC Liberal government refused to accept that offer.”

Schein also tells NEWS 1130 Vancouver could learn from Seattle which has a set formula for compensation.

“People showed their financial statements before and then, they were treated with respect in Seattle and it sounds like Montreal wants to do the same thing. Unfortunately, in their rush to build the Canada Line for the Olympics, they took advantage of all the merchants who really suffered disproportionately.”

He adds he hopes past mistakes aren’t repeated during construction of Vancouver’s new rapid transit line along the Broadway corridor.

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