THE HEIGHT OF ARROGANCE - BUREAUCRACY RUN AMOK
What follows is perhaps the rudest letter imaginable from Little Ms. I'mAlright to yet another Cambie merchant whose business has been ruined by the Canada Line. It's a classic. But WARNING - YOUR BLOOD MAY BOIL.
Linda ( I presume)
I am an independent operator. I have a contract with Canada Line to manage the projects of the Business Liaison Committees. I take my directives from the committee members and my Independent Chair. I will not be passing your rhetorical question on to the CEO of Canada Line for you.
As you know, there is no mandate for Canada Line in their contract to provide compensation to businesses. What Canada Line did in that absence, was to create communications and programming resources available through the Vancouver and Richmond Business Liaison Committees. You have two representatives for this area which are on the Committee, Mr., Leonard Schein of Festival Cinemas, who operates the Park Theatre just up the street from you, and Ms. Heather Grant who works with Shato Holdings, owners of numerous properties including White Spot. These two individuals do a great job of representing the interests of Cambie Village at our table and provide input as to ways to bring customers to Cambie Village. In fact, they have secured a great deal of programming for the area in addition to that funded through the Committee. I know they will both continue to champion for Cambie Village.
Mr. Schein and Ms. Grant also serve on the volunteer Board of Directors for the Cambie Village Business Association. You have the contact name and number for Rania Hatz, your BIA coordinator who you have cc’d in the email. Please speak with Rania about ideas you may have for events, marketing and programs in the Cambie Village area or to find out what programs are currently being planned so that you can participate.
I believe I have done all I can for your business in my capacity. Canada Line has provided one-on-one consultation from the Retail Consultant, who also gave you a personalized sign program template on cd and new logo to work with. I know that there were many ideas and suggestions presented to you and it is up to you how you move forward. With the closure of all the Regis Framing stores, you now have less competition in this area. The City Square location has closed and you could go into the mall and hand out your cards to the other merchants to let them know that people looking for framing can now call you. Perhaps offer a referral program.. It might be a good time to make some photocopies of flyers, or rearrange the store. Urban Source on Main street just north of 16th sells recycled materials for pennies and will provide an environmentally friendly supply of neat things to make displays with. There are many constructive things you could be doing.
I am wondering, too, why after running the business for about 20 months you speak about the last 17, 20 and now 24 years of business. Having met the previous owners, who themselves bought the business from someone else, it seems the business has changed hands a number of times in the last few years alone. Along with your inconsistent operating hours, it is my own personal onion that you may have some consumer confidence issues to work on. Traditionally, retail sales are very low this time of year. Add snow storms and traffic congestion and you do really have a very compounded situation. I have never said otherwise. But I honestly believe you need to make more effort in your business for it to grow. Sending emails such as the attached, and some of the others you have copied me on, will not help you unless you feel it is beneficial to vent at someone. If that is the case – why not type the email out and then delete it? That way you see, you don’t offend people who have done a lot to try to help you in the only way that they are able to or have control over.
I wish you well,
Thanks,
Karen Peterson
Independent Project Director
Business Liaison and Communications Committees
Do You Shop the Line?
Canada Line Direct: 604-639-8723
Cellular 778-327-8383
karenpi@canadaline.ca http://www.canadaline.ca/
483 West 16th Avenue
Vancouver BC V5Y 1Z2
3 comments:
"Along with your inconsistent operating hours, it is my own personal onion that you may have some consumer confidence issues to work on. Traditionally, retail sales are very low this time of year. Add snow storms and traffic congestion and you do really have a very compounded situation. I have never said otherwise. But I honestly believe you need to make more effort in your business for it to grow."
Blaming the very businesses they've wrecked. Great liaising!
Karen Peterson - no class.
"Independent Project Director". Theres nothing independent about her. She works for Canada Line. I think this woman should be fired!
Karen Petersen no longer remembers being a merchant. Unfortunatly she sold out her business just in the nick of time for construction on Granville street. Her CUSHY position at the Canada Line has obviously distracted her from her former life as the proprietor of a tattoo and body piercing shop. Which, apparently is a BETER business than maternity and baby stores, restaurants and framing stores.I guess her more "qualified" business experiences enables her to be considered an expert in the area of survival.Although, She was the president of the downtown business association, at one time lobbying for change and strength among merchants... she now has a different business. Amazing what a solid income and a nice office can do to change a person.Instead of working 12 hours a day on her own business, she might sit around her new office reading small business obituaries with the other girls while they give eachother free tattoos and do eachothers hair.(And as the following article quotes her) and saying "super hot"!!
She can call consultation what she wants. She can say she doesn't work for the canada line directly, but she is still responsible for her part in destroying families, immigrants, single parents and other small businesses along the line...
signed,
Karen come over an watch my kids, I need to go to work now, because you took my business,
Erin Broke-ovich
READ:
Granville Mall gets overhaul
Economic pressures will drive out less attractive businesses
Wendy McLellan
Province
Sunday, April, 03, 2005
Even if city councillors agree on a design by early summer as planned, the street will be ripped apart for RAV construction -- including as many as three stations along Granville -- for at least 18 months.
"We've wanted a redesign forever," said Karen Peterson Ivanick, president of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and a longtime retailer on Granville Mall.
"A lot of people think having this main street in such disrepair is holding back the city. You can't build something in 1975 and then abandon it."
Peterson Ivanick, who owns Anatomic Adornments body-piercing shop in the 800-block of Granville, said updating the street, along with the redevelopment under way, is gradually taking the area away from drug dealers and pawn shops and making it a safe, funky place in the heart of the city.
"There is real, serious change going on that is quite meaningful," she said. "Leases are up for renewal and retailers that can't get onto Robson are making the first couple of blocks of Granville the next best thing.
"That will push the smaller stores further south and pretty soon, there will be only good stuff going on. I think it could be a beautiful street. We're just a few years away from being super hot down here."
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