Latest news with #BASES
CBC
26-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Metro Vancouver non-profit thrift stores say they're facing tough times as rents continue to rise
Social Sharing The operators of non-profit thrift stores in Metro Vancouver say the region's expensive real estate market is making it difficult for them to make money, and that's keeping them from being able to help their communities. Burnaby Association for South East Side (BASES) Family Thrift Store in Burnaby, B.C., says it will soon have to close because of increasingly unaffordable rent. "We know we can run a successful business. We've done it for 12 years and we certainly can continue that," said BASES president Peggy Woodruff. "But we just can't afford the rent." Woodruff says her thrift store has raised more than $1 million for children and families in her community. But after all these years, she's getting ready to close the store's doors. Rent for the store started at $10 a square foot when it first opened more than a decade ago, she says. It's now being raised to $40 a square foot. WATCH | Thrift stores face eviction amid rent hikes: Metro Vancouver's soaring rents forcing non-profits out of business 10 hours ago Duration 2:17 A beloved Burnaby, B.C., thrift store is getting set to close up shop amid a major rent hike. It joins a long list of establishments struggling to stay afloat amid Metro Vancouver's real estate crisis. Sohrab Sandhu reports. Woodruff says for the last 18 months her organization has tried looking for another space to operate its business. But so far, the search has not been successful. "We've looked at over probably 80 properties in Burnaby," she said. "The retail space is very, very tight." 'The profit is completely gone' In Surrey, SEVA Thrift Foundation board member Raj Arneja says the SEVA Thrift Store donated more than $100,000 to the community in its first seven years of operation. But the store's rent has nearly tripled since it first opened, and it hasn't had any extra money to hand out in the last two years. "The profit is completely gone," Arneja said. To help, the store became a non-profit-organization and last year it was granted charity status. Arneja says she hopes that can help them access grants. She says business has been picking up, and she's hopeful for the future. She says the store doesn't just give money, it also offers a valuable space for its 60 or so volunteers to gain work experience and build community. "It's like a nice stepping stone, volunteering with us — a stepping stone into any kind of career," Arneja said. Rent control vs. creating more supply Last year a city councillor in New Westminster proposed special economic zones to help small businesses amid rapid development, increasing land values and rising commercial rents. But Andrey Pavlov, a finance professor at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business, says commercial rent control is not a solution — the focus should be increasing the real estate supply. "We need to make it easy and fast and safe to invest in commercial, residential real estate so that people do that in large numbers," Pavlov said. "And then we build a lot more than we currently have."
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Benzene alert blamed on ‘messaging system error'
An alert issued this week by INEOS Styrolution about elevated benzene levels at its Sarnia facility has since been retracted, with the company citing a 'messaging system error.' A follow-up clarification was issued today, stating that no exceedances occurred on May 5. The original message, distributed through the Sarnia-Lambton Alerts system on May 5, stated that 'hourly benzene emissions on-site have been detected above 0.021 parts-per million (67.5 µg/m³).' That figure matches the company's internal 'proactive alert' threshold — a level set below Ontario's regulatory one-hour ambient air quality criterion (AAQC) for benzene of 90 µg/m³ (approximately 0.028 ppm). A second message, issued at 7:06 a.m. on May 7, repeated the same language from the original alert and described the notification as a 'proactive precaution.' INEOS stated that emissions reduction efforts would be identified if abnormal conditions were present, and emphasized that no adverse effects were expected. Later that same day, a correction was issued at 3:01 p.m., reading: 'CORRECTION to the notifications sent May 5th [10:53 and 11:09 a.m.] Due to a messaging system error, two community notifications were incorrectly distributed yesterday. We would like to clarify that no on-site emissions at our Sarnia facility have exceeded 0.021 parts per million (67.5 µg/m³) on May 5, 2025.' INEOS has not explained why the May 7, 7:06 a.m. alert repeated the exceedance language just hours before issuing the correction. As of publication, no retraction or clarification has appeared on the BASES (Binational Air Quality and Environmental Strategy) public notification platform, where the original alert was posted. In response to questions from The Sarnia Journal, INEOS said the company uses a proactive alert threshold of 0.021 ppm to notify the public before reaching Ontario's regulatory limit. The company confirmed that no exceedances occurred on May 5, 6, or 7 and that emissions remained below the 90 µg/m³ limit. However, it did not address questions about whether that threshold was exceeded on other dates, the cause of the messaging error, or what safeguards exist to prevent similar notification issues in the future. OOntario's one-hour air quality limit for benzene, the maximum amount allowed in outdoor air over a one-hour period, is 90 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³). INEOS's internal alert threshold (67.5 µg/m³) represents approximately 75% of that regulatory limit and is described by the company as a proactive measure to inform the community in advance of any regulatory breach. Benzene is a volatile organic compound used in petrochemical processing and plastics manufacturing. It is listed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure can increase the risk of leukemia and other blood disorders, while short-term exposure to high levels may cause symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, or drowsiness. The alerts were issued during INEOS Styrolution's ongoing benzene removal plan at the Sarnia site, which includes pipeline transfers and the emptying of an on-site benzene tank. The company has stated that emissions controls are in place and no off-site health impacts are anticipated. This article was created with support from advanced editorial tools and reviewed by our team to ensure accuracy and fairness. Learn more .
