‘i -1994 THE oh pees A : January 20,1995 68 pages the news @ Classifieds............. sees DS & Entertainment............20 @ Fashion... veccscesenel 7 @ Home & Garden.........13 @ Inside Stories..............13 @ TV Listings................18 & Restyled Toyota Tercel '. offers a four-speed ‘automatic for the first time: 21 1 Weekly Real Estate : section: 33 - 68 . & Keep your home safe “> from fire: 14 Weather : Saturday: ‘ Cloudy; chance of showers High 8°C, Low 1°C. §-2131 GRAND ENTRANCE While an attractive home entrance makes the best first impression, function is even PUB STORY Decision on a pub proposed for North Vancouver City is delayed by legal considera- more important for this area. ‘tae FF orn Bde NEWS photo Paul McGrath SILVER DISC’S Gordon Everingham says Capilano Mall’s new extended hours are inconvenient and unprofitable. He joined other Capilano Mail independent merchants in a Monday night delegation before North Vancouver City Council to plea for help. But an amicable solution is unlikely because the mall's anchor clients, such as Wal-Mart and Pacitic Linen, requested the hour extensions. Merchants upset with extended mail hours IN AN attempt to reverse a trend toward extended shopping hours, many Capilano Mall merchants appeared before North Vancouver City Council on Monday night with an appeal for help. NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL By Robert Galster Capilano Mall's property management compa- ny, Cambridge Leaseholds Ltd.. introduced the _ ew hours effective Dec. 27 to please their main, or anchor, tenants. But the new hours affect all of the mall's ten- ants and extend closing hours for all mail stores from the previous 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. In an interview with the News, Richard Wood, Capilano Mall's general manager, said the new hours have been instituted on a trial basis and are not necessarily permanent. "That is being reviewed.” said Wood. “If it doesn't work we'll change it” Buthe was “not prepared to say” how long the trial period would last. The merchants’ delegation opened with Athena international’s Devika Mehta reading a fetter signed by more than 50 independent owners and employees expressing their collective unhappi- ness with the current expanded hours. Mehta added that, “the others would have liked to be here, but they had to work.” . The delegation based its complaint on the financial hardship the late closings have on the independent merchants. , Silver Disc’s Gordon Everingham said he doesn’t know of a single merchant who wants to 66 If there was a profit to be niade, we would all be willing to stay open. 99 — Mal! merchant Gordon Everingham stay open. “WP there was a profit to be made, we would all be willing to stay open.” said Everingham. Ina letter to Wood, Ragne Johnston of Panda Shoes wrote that part of the reason for the finan- cial straits most merchants are beginning to find themselves in is the imminent inerease of the min- imum wage from $6 to $7 per hour. “This will have a significant impact on staffing costs of all stores ... because it will drive up all salaries,” said Johnston. The increase, in addition to the slow business during the late hours, could prove to be economic suicide for some of the mall’s merchants. “We're lucky if we do $8 worth of sales,” said Tawny Jellis, manager of Lugaro Jewellers. Jellis also said security during the extended hours was inadequate. “There's not that many peuple in the mall, and that’s usually security on its own.” Everingham added that the mall's security is good, but undermanned.’ “ICs a matter of a presence, and we've lost that presence.” Although city. staff recommended that no changes be made to the city’s shopping hours bylaw because it would affect all stores, not just those in Capilano Mall, Coun. Stella Jo Dean refused to abandon the merchants. She suggested a renegotiation of the mall's comprehensive development contract with the city that would let the independent merchants close while Wal-Mart. Sears and Pacific Linen remain open. Dean's suggestion could pravide a solution because al] three stores have outside access, making the mall exits unnecessary. See Owners page 3