Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
Some Oliver Flea Market vendors have been given a deadline to vacate the building to make way for a potentially new enterprise.
The Times-Chronicle was informed that Hank’s Place on Station Street, one of three separate businesses, has to vacate the premises by the end of November.
When asked what he thought about that, proprietor Henry Wiebe had a one-word answer: “Disgusting . . . I was very shocked, I’ve been here for eight years.”
Wiebe said he was given two months’ notice to vacate the premises to make way for a possible electric vehicle manufacturing business.
While getting turfed was bad news for him, he noted his luck in finding a spot to relocate – the Sundance Video store on Main Street, which is closing at the end of November. Wiebe will operate from that building until he finds a bigger space to sell his furniture.
Wiebe said he was told that an electric vehicle business will be moving into the flea market building.
“It’s true, I don’t know. I’ve heard different stories already.”
Wiebe said having an electric car company operate out of Oliver would be great, but he wonders where the employees will come from.
“Nobody in town is qualified to build electric cars that I know of. And if they bring in people, where are they going to house them? There’s no housing, either.”
Wiebe questioned if such a business is feasible for a small town. And if it doesn’t pan out, he suspects the building will be turned into storage lockers.
Gerry Vloedbeld of This & That is in a similar predicament; he also has to vacate the flea market building at the end of November.
“I was a little shocked but not surprised,” he said, noting that he too is looking to find another location to operate his business.
Vloedbeld said he was similarly informed by management that an electric vehicle business is taking up shop there.
However, Larry Poznikoff, agent for Desert Valley Properties Ltd., told the Times-Chronicle that nothing has been confirmed yet. He offered no further details about the plan for the electric car venture.
Randy Houle, the Town’s director of development services, said no land use application or building permit has been received for the flea market building at this time.
Vloedbeld, who has operated This & That for nine years, said he was obviously disappointed about the news.
However, he noted that the building owner gave the vendors “a hell of a deal” on rent.
When asked what he thought about the proposed development, Vloedbeld said he doesn’t blame the building owner for anything.
“He’s a businessman, you can’t blame him . . . I wish him much luck.”
Vloedbeld said there are more than 20 vendors operating in the flea market.
One of them said she was sad to see the flea market close because it is a place where people come to buy and sell treasures and socialize every weekend.
