Gastown businesses bouncing back one month into B.C. cruise ship season
Dozens of cruise ships have docked in downtown Vancouver, one month into the long-awaited cruise ship season.
At the Gifts and Things souvenir shop in the city’s Gastown neighbourhood, the mood is cheerful.
Sakura Hirama, the store manager, chalks it up to the return of cruise passengers.
“The cruise ships are definitely helping us keep our business alive,” she said.
The longstanding souvenir shop has always relied, understandably, on business from tourists. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the cruise ship industry in 2020, Hirama knew she had to pivot to keep the store from going under.
“We started carrying gifts that locals can purchase for Christmas and birthdays. Local people started coming to our store and that helped us a lot,” she explained.
The store now has regular customers who live and work nearby. On top of that, tourists have made a comeback. On Tuesday morning, the store was busy with out-of-towners seeking trinkets with “Vancouver” etched on them.
“Overall, there’s more feet on the street for sure,” said Walley Wargolet, executive director of the Gastown Business Improvement Association. He says the influx is caused by several factors, including people returning to their workplaces, general tourism by car and plane, and the return of cruise ships.
A total of 310 ships are scheduled to dock at Canada Place by the end of October. The Port of Vancouver says each cruise ship contributes $3 million to the city’s economy. That’s welcome news for business owners in Gastown, where 47 shops closed down in the first two years of the pandemic.
“We’ve kind of filled all those spots, by some folks reopening - which is great - but also some new folks taking over,” said Wargolet.
However, the return of cruise ships is not quite the boon to business that it was prior to the pandemic. Cruise companies are following COVID-19 safety protocols, which means many of them are operating at reduced capacities and are not yet allowing unvaccinated people on board. Fewer passengers translates to fewer dollars being spent at local shops and restaurants.
In addition to that, Wargolet said ongoing problems with neighbourhood cleanliness and access are keeping locals, and their dollars, away from the area. The problem worsened over the pandemic, Wargolet said, to the point that residents held a community cleanup in late March. Dozens of people hosed down sidewalks and picked up trash throughout the neighbourhood.
“The City of Vancouver has really let Gastown deteriorate in many ways,” said Wargolet. “The good news is we’ve made some progress. We have some repairs happening in the next few weeks on some of the sidewalks, but there’s more to be done.”
Hirama told CTV News her sales are not quite at pre-pandemic levels but have gotten very close since the cruise season began in early April. Despite things appearing to return back to normal, she said the souvenir shop will make its new business model permanent, and continue catering to Vancouver residents.
“Without them, we couldn’t have survived the pandemic,” she said. “I really, really appreciate their support.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.