One of the most outspoken merchants of Canada Line construction impact on Cambie St. businesses is shutting down her store.
The rapid transit line is set to open in 2009, but Susan Heyes says small businesses like hers will still have a hard time, and rents will be too expensive for them to remain in business.
Hayes is moving her business, Hazel & Co., to Main Street. Her decision comes after many stores went out of business during Canada Line construction -- something Heyes blames on the provincial government.
"They caused this disaster," she says. "They didn't factor adequate mitigation in. They created this financial hardship for everyone and they're afraid of setting a precedent that they'll have to compensate for every road repair and every pothole."
On Friday, Cambie Street merchants will try to get a class action lawsuit certified on behalf of businesses, who claim they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars during the three years of construction.
A spokesperson for the Cambie Village Business Association, Leonard Schein, has previously said the suit could seek damages up to $40 million.
When it's finished in 2009, the $2 billion Canada Line SkyTrain system will be nearly 19 kilometres long and link downtown Vancouver with central Richmond and the Vancouver International airport.
