Mount Paul Industrial Park shops adjusting to life after Red Bridge fire

Erwin’s Fine Baking is among those dealing with customer fluctuations and says while they have seen a steady flow of pre-existing loyal customers, they’ve still had to explore other ways to bring people in.

“On good days, we’re reasonably close to what we were doing pre-bridge,” explains co-owner-operator Robyn Haley. “On the down days, it’s frightening.”

The locally-owned shop has started opening earlier to get people stopping by on their way to work and it’s also begun offering online ordering.

“We’re going to start offering delivery hopefully next week,” adds Haley, “but on a very, very limited scale to start. It’ll just be over here on the [Tk’emlúps reserve] and for a couple of hours a day. Ideally, looking to pick up some more lunch business.”

Haley adds that the business has been managing the post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas period relatively well, but is looking forward to a typical increase in sales with party and meal orders around the winter holidays.

Down the road, Mount Paul Barbers has weathered the change without disruption.

“I felt that we got even busier because some people are coming from the other side here, new people. They’re noticing that there’s a barbershop here,” says Adam Elnabout, who has been working at the shop for the past two years.

Elnabout adds the barbershop has also been able to rely on a steady stream of repeat clientele, built up over the 45 years the shop has been open.

“That’s for us,” he reiterates. “For the rest (of the businesses), I think it’s affecting some people. Because this shop has been here for a while. Like if this was a new barbershop, for sure we would’ve been affected.”

Further in to the industrial area, Purity Feed has noticed a change in when customers are coming in, with fewer lunch break visits and more after-work trips. In response, they’ve adjusted shift times and have also been offering online orders and local delivery.

“Fortunately, we’re not in our key time of year. If it was our spring rush, it might be different but it’s not. And we’re doing fine,” explains Purity Feed owner John McCurrach. “Our October sales numbers were stronger than they were last year, so that’s a pretty good sign that people are still coming in.”

McCurrach feels part of why some businesses aren’t hit as hard is because they’re providing a specific product or service and don’t have to rely on window shoppers or drivers stopping by to browse.

“The word on the street is some of the smaller people that are specialized are doing really well because they’re a go-to destination,” he adds. “But others that aren’t as much of a go-to destination… there is opportunity for people to go and buy some of that stuff up the hill. I know that people are going up the hill.”

Three months in, local operators have been able to find ways to get through the loss of the bridge, but would like to see its replacement built sooner than later.

“And it does help that they’re improving things every day on Highway 5. The left turn lane (at Mount Paul Way) is longer, the light is longer,” says Haley. “Hopefully, they continue to make it a little bit easier.”

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Mount Paul Industrial Park shops adjusting to life after Red Bridge fire

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