To the editor:
Re: "Rent increase forces Little Nest to close," May 24.
I read with sadness your story about the impending demise of the Little Nest Café due to an exorbitant rent increase. Recently, I wrote to Mayor Robertson and all 10 city councillors about the crisis facing independent retail and brought their attention to an article I co-authored in last summer's Plan Canada: "Say Goodbye to Small Retail: Should We Care?" In that article, my coauthor and I noted that, with a few noteworthy exceptions, little is being done to stem the tide of small retail collapse. Of the councillors I contacted, only one - Geoff Meggs - deigned to respond.
In Cheryl Rossi's article, Little Nest owner Mary Macintyre is quoted as saying that "City hall could regulate commercial leases and show more support for small business." Residential rent control is under the jurisdiction of the province, so it's not clear what authority the city has. Nonetheless, it's worth looking into. Far too many fine independent businesses have succumbed to rapacious landlords. It's time the city and the province stepped up to the plate.
Don Alexander, Vancouver
