Downtown 'street chaos' final straw for Victoria business closing after 70 years

At Greggs Furniture & Upholstery they’ve been building and fixing furniture for 70 years. In a few weeks, they’re permanently closing the door to the Victoria retail store.

Owner David Screech says there are several reasons the business is shuttering but ultimately it was the street disorder in the area that proved too much. He notes hiring skilled labour has become tougher, and lease prices continue to climb. He’s also pursuing a nomination for the federal Liberal party in the upcoming election.

Still, he says the final straw that sped up the decision to close by a couple of years was the petty crime and street disorder in the area.

“What’s tipped the balance right now is the street chaos around the store that we're having to deal with on a daily basis,” said Screech on Monday.

That chaos, he said, includes threats of violence to staff and customers, and plenty of petty crime including vandalism and theft from parked cars.

“Obviously, if people aren’t coming in, that’s the lifeblood of the business,” said Screech.

Screech says the province hasn’t done enough to address public safety issues that come with mental health and addiction struggles. He wants to see involuntary care expanded for those in need and more advocacy from the province for tougher bail laws.

“The status quo is clearly not working and only getting worse,” he said.

It’s not the only iconic business impacted by street crime. Dressew Supply, a fabric store in downtown Vancouver, is also shutting its door, at least temporarily.

Its windows have been boarded since the height of the pandemic, and it announced over the weekend that it’s selling its building on West Hastings Street along with its warehouses. In a social media post Monday, the business said issues in the neighbourhood are not the reason for the closure.

"The vandalism, graffiti, crime and our neighbourhood falling apart around us are a reason we won’t relocate in downtown Vancouver, but not the reason we are closing. These issues are not limited to our neighbourhood or city," the post said.

Jeff Bray, the head of Victoria’s Downtown Business Association, says Greggs Furniture is just the first of many that will close if underlying issues aren’t addressed.

“There’s fatigue out there amongst business owners and their staff is reaching a critical point,” said Bray on Monday.

The Ministry of Health issued a statement on Monday, noting its taking the issue seriously, and that involuntary care is authorized in some cases. The statement also noted that the province is prioritizing more treatment options for those battling addiction and that it has appointed an expert to examine the toxic drug crisis further.