By
Stanley Tromp, Vancouver Courier, 21
Nov. 2014
________________
Marpole may soon be losing another
landmark. Since 1999 Crystal Ballroom on 768 Southwest Marine Dr. has trained thousands
of students of all ages from beginner to gold competitor level and hosted
regular social dances. With its chic decor and 5,000 square feet of sprung maplewood floor, it described itself as the most elegant
ballroom and best dance school studio in Vancouver.
Yet soon the music may fall
silent. The facility posted a farewell notice on its website: "Crystal
Ballroom announces with deep regret to our many loyal customers and faithful
students, many of whom have also become lifelong friends, that after being in
business for 15 years, 31st December 2014 will be the final day of dancing
service to you all."
The building is being sold,
Zillion Wong, the ballroom school principal, told the Courier, although he would not name the new owners,
nor the former ones, a group of shareholders who started the venture in 1999.
"I don't believe the
building will be torn down, but probably renovated into some sort of camera
warehouse. It definitely won't be used for new housing, so far as I know,"
he said.
"We have a lease
agreement with the new owners that we could stay here, but we are looking for a
new venue in a couple of locations in Richmond. We will be definitely starting
a new school with our same instructors. If we don't find a new place by
January, our students can stay here for another few months until we do."
The closure will leave a
serious gap in Vancouver's
ballroom dance community, said Glen Brennan, who was the ballroom's managing
director for 13 years before moving back to his Australian homeland a year ago.
"It now leaves, to my knowledge, no other comparable alternative. A great
loss to the Vancouver dance
community that will likely never be replaced. It is a very sad end to a
wonderful era!" Crystal Ballroom was popular in the Lower Mainland due to
its central location and free parking. It offered dance programs for private
and group lessons in International Ballroom and American Social Dances at all
levels, besides hosting social dancing each night and tea dances on Sunday and
Wednesday afternoons, and special parties with prizes.
Its innovative Star of the Nite event was for students partnered by their teachers to
display their prepared show dances with the support friends and families. It
was open to the public and the students' performances were videotaped for them
to keep. The ballroom's sprung floors, which are supported by foam backing and
rubber feet, absorb shocks, give them a softer feel and enhancing performances.
Crystal Ballroom will host three final events: a Santa Claus Dinner Dance on
Dec. 6, a Christmas Dinner Dance on Dec. 20, and a New Year's Eve Gala Dance on
Dec. 31.
_____________________
By
Stanley Tromp, Vancouver Courier, 11
April 2014
On the street outside Amy's Loonie-Toonie Town, a dollar store at West 70th Avenue and
Granville Street, a pink sign popped up last week: "Clearance Sale, 50 per
cent off everything."
In the store, a Marpole neighbourhood fixture
since 1990, customers can buy artificial flowers, candles, greeting cards,
cosmetics, tools, helium balloons, houseware, stationery, toys and gifts. But
not for long. The reason for the sign is all too apparent: At the end of this
month, Amy's will close for good.
Passing through the doors,
shoppers can still see John Luk and his wife Regina,
the store's owneroperators, at the front counter
cheerily serving customers as they have for the past 14 years. But the tone is
subdued as goodbyes are exchanged. John Luk told the Courier he feels "both happy
and sad" this week. At age 62, Luk, who moved
here from Hong Kong 22 years ago, is pleased to retire so he can take care of
his granddaughter and learn tai chi. But he will also miss his longtime regular
customers "who were like family."
"Marpole
is growing too fast," he said.
The main reason for the
closure is no surprise: a year-and-a-half ago, a large competing Dollarama
chain store set up a few blocks south on the same street. "They killed
us," said Luk. Still, he accepts the outcome as
the nature of capitalism and says it's not the state's role to intervene. Amy's
itself was once a franchise, but each store became individually owned. Four in Vancouver have closed and only
one at 846 Denman St. survives.
Luk paid a combined monthly rent
and city tax of $12,680, which he can no longer afford. Rents are too high for
other small stores on the block, he says, and worries others might close as
well.
The building's property
manager, who did not give his name, said he doesn't yet know who the new tenant
will be, or if their rent will be higher than Amy's paid, although he concedes
that due to the Safeway and residential development across the street, the
area's land values are probably rising. "The closure and construction
impact from the Safeway was difficult for many of our local businesses and its
reopening may have also reintroduced more local product competition as
well," said Claudia Laroye, director of the Marpole Business Association. Some customers lamented that
Amy's departure is just one more sign that the village character of old Marpole is fading away, shoved aside by commercial
developments and condo towers.
"Everybody is going to
miss them," said Charlie Borvari, 86, who has
lived on Osler Street since 1980. "They were such good honest folks. They
let me exchange things with no trouble."
He shopped there weekly for
12 years, to buy cleaning supplies, light bulbs, dishes. Amy's was five blocks
away and was "central," but the new Dollarama is too far to walk for
his elderly friends.
Kevin Hayer,
33, owner of Mr. Pickwicks Fish and Chips, one block
south from Amy's, was unsentimental.
"I won't miss them at
all" he said. "I hope the building gets torn down. Out with the old
and in with the new. The only thing I bought there was tarragon. I gladly go to
down to the Dollarama, where I get much better products at half the
price."
He loves the new Safeway, and
adds that his own rent is cheap, for now.
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