Cambie Street has come a long way since the last time Vancouverites prepared for a municipal election.
Back in 2008, panicked merchants, ground down by years of Canada Line construction, drew much of the media spotlight and, in turn, much attention from candidates seeking mayor and council seats.
Business owner Gary Gautan remembers that then-mayoral hopeful Gregor Robertson was a frequent sight on the still-dishevled street. He was so involved, coming down and checking up on us, says the owner of Cambie General Store at 18th Avenue.
Today, Cambies bright sidewalks and quaint little stores suggest that all Visions councillors and Mayor Gregors men have managed to put Cambie together again. But Gautan says that would be giving credit where it is not due.
Cambie street merchants have seen little of Robertson since the last election, he says, even as business continues to trend lower than it did before the Canada Line went in. He won, and then nothing.
After enduring crippling business conditions during construction, Gautan says Cambie Street businesses have failed to reap any of the benefits of the rapid transit system because their strip sits in an awkward position, too far from either the Broadway or the King Edward stations to be easily accessed by pedestrians.
Nobody wants to walk from King Edward to here, he says. To me, its common sense it would have been better if theyd put [a stop] in at 16th... The street looks beautiful now but theres less traffic.
Restaurateur Angela Maida agrees. She survived the Cambie Street construction as an area resident, but joined the local business community four months ago when she opened Pronto Caffe just up the block from Gautans store.
What you have here is a community thats a little bit bereft because were in between she says. While the location of the stops is a done deal not to mention a decision made primarily by the regions transit authorities the city needs to do more to support businesses on South Cambie if they are to compete with vibrant Main Street and the growing transit hub at Cambie and Broadway.
A starting point would be to offer the same concessions available to other retail-oriented strips, she says. While Main Street, Commercial Drive and Davie Street are allowed to shut down traffic for car-free festivals, the Cambie Village has to hold its celebrations on residential side-streets, Maida points out.
And like many business owners throughout the city, she finds navigating the red tape at City Hall to be somewhat of a Herculean endeavour. Im still a bit bitter about how much it costs to get stuff done, she says, noting she spent upwards of $10,000 just to obtain the necessary permits to open her business in time for the crucial summer season.
Hope for a completed Cambie Street transformation may be on the horizon, however. A recent increase in height and density allowances in the area will hopefully bring much-needed foot traffic to Cambie Village, says Maida, even if it does threaten to change the character of the neighbourhood she loves.
But if street level change is what it takes for Cambie Street to make a full recovery, Maida says shes willing to accept it if City Hall is willing to reciprocate, that is. I think Cambie Street needs help.
CORRECTION: A Sept. 29 article (Neighbourhood Watch: No Headway on Housing) should have said the West End Seniors Network provides services to individuals aged 55 and up. We apologize for the error.
