Editor:
Something very alarming is happening in Tsawwassen and it does not bode well for the commercial sector of the community.
In the 1971 census, the population of Tsawwassen was 11,900 and in 2011, it was 21,000, an increase of 76 per cent. One would expect to see the number of businesses increase with this population growth, but that has hardly been the case.
What we have lost over that 40-year period are: a movie theatre, bowling alley, automobile dealership, fish store, butcher shop, stationary store, lighting store, jewelry store, audio/television store and a garden shop.
We have also had a net loss of three gas stations (all with service bays), two delicatessens, a supermarket, a video rental store and a produce store.
Yes, there have been some new retail outlets in Tsawwassen, consisting mainly of food and drink establishments and yoga studios.
What is going to happen when the two malls open up along Highway 17 if businesses in the town core already have trouble staying viable?
Many Tsawwassen residents do go to Point Roberts and Richmond for more selection and better prices and the two proposed Tsawwassen First Nation malls are a harbinger of difficult times ahead for local businesses.
I hope there are no more closures in our community but I fear the worst is yet to come.
Ray Pelland
