Gregor Robertson challenged on the Broadway Construction project

As Vancouver businesses continue to close during construction of the Broadway Subway Line, Canada’s housing minister, a former provincial NDP MLA who previously demanded the B.C. government compensate businesses affected by Canada Line work, says he will look into the issue.

Fable Diner and SportChek are just two of the most recent businesses to shutter along Broadway near Main Street.

The local business improvement association has been pleading for financial support, including low-interest loans or tax breaks, but so far, the B.C. government refuses to budge on its ‘no compensation’ policy.

In 2007, as an opposition NDP MLA, Gregor Robertson demanded the BC Liberals provide compensation for Cambie businesses impacted by Canada line construction.

“First and foremost, we’ve seen with major infrastructure projects going back to the Canada Line, when I was the MLA in Vancouver Fairview, having a lot of impact on local businesses, the construction destruction can have real consequences and it certainly did back then,” Gregor Robertson said.

“I’ll certainly look into what has happened in terms of the impacts on the ground and flag that with my fellow, our colleagues MP (Taleeb) Noormohamed in Vancouver Granville, where most of the activity is taking place. We want to be sure small businesses can get through construction when it’s disruptive like that.”

The federal government provides funding to business improvement associations in Toronto to support businesses affected by transit construction — by funding FedDev Ontario.

Robertson says he’ll look into whether b-c businesses could receive similar support through Pacific Economic Development Canada.

Neil Wyles, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said small business owners are resilient and innovative, but after six years of construction and closures, it is unclear how much more they can take.

Wyles said business owners are not asking for a handout from the provincial government; they are asking for a hand-up, which could come in the form of programs, low-interest or no-interest loans, or a tax break.

“Something just to help them get to the other side of this,” he added.

The B.C. government has always held fast to the decision that there will be no compensation for small business owners affected by the Broadway Subway construction.