Vancouver councillors weigh in on closure of Chinatown's Kent's Kitchen
Vancouver city councillors say the closure of Kent's Kitchen will be a tremendous loss for the community.
This week, the beloved restaurant in Chinatown announced it will be closing its doors for good next month.
Kent's Kitchen has been a staple in the community for decades, offering affordable food to people from all walks of life.
It's believed that the restaurant is closing down because its rent is going up by 30 per cent due to property taxes rising by 10.7 per cent this year.
Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung says one of her government’s challenges is the city’s scope of control.
"Certainly the rent is beyond our abilities—something that is charged by landlords, by the market—but we are trying to drive as many customers and people into the area," she explained.
Kirby-Yung says the city is investing millions of dollars into revitalizing the neighbourhood.
"I think there are some really bright lights on the horizon for Chinatown. We've got the opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum which is slated to open on Canada Day," she said.
The announcement of the restaurant's closure has left the community devastated and hopeful that more can be done to protect businesses like Kent's Kitchen.
Councillor Pete Fry worries the loss of the business will put a lot of financial strain on people.
"There’s not a lot of good affordable food options in the neighbourhood. There’s a lot of overpriced shops," said Fry.
"Kent's Kitchen was one of those back strapping institutions that really helped feed a lot of folks in the neighbourhood with good quality affordable food," he continued.
Fry says it's unlikely the city can do much to save the business within a month.
CTV News tried reaching out to the owner of Kent's Kitchen but has yet to hear back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.