Tension between downtown businesses and people experiencing homelessness on 91大黄鸭鈥檚 Leon Avenue has reached a tipping point.

Businesses along the strip are fed up with the growing number of people camping on the street saying the encampment is affecting their ability to work, forcing them to consider relocating.

Earlier this week, Boyd鈥檚 Tire and Auto Service and Eco-Clean, were the first two businsses to confirm they are moving locations due to the crime, violence, and uncleanliness in the area.

Boyds Tire and Auto Service has been at its Leon Avenue location for the past seven years. The shop鈥檚 owner, Chad Abougoush, said he is relocating his store due to a decrease in overall business over the past few years, which he attributes largely to the population of people living on Leon Avenue.

鈥淲e need to provide a nice, clean, safe environment for our customers and we no longer feel like that鈥檚 available here,鈥� he said.

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Abougoush said the crime and amount of people experiencing homelessness in the area has grown exponentially year-after-year.

鈥�(This time last year) was nowhere near close to as bad as it is now,鈥� he said.

Abougoush said the city has failed to change its response as the encampment has grown.

鈥淭he city鈥檚 response has been the same response for the past three years,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hey have this mysterious plan that we never see any of it executed. I鈥檓 sick and tired of waiting.

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 trying to work and nothing is working, I usually change my approach. They need to change what they鈥檙e doing or do something to make it better 鈥� They鈥檙e band-aiding the problem. They鈥檙e not solving it.鈥�

Despite his efforts to reach out to city officials to discuss the rampant crime in the area, Abougoush said nothing has come of those conversations.

He attributes Boyd鈥檚 Tire鈥檚 longevity on Leon Avenue to the Downtown 91大黄鸭 Association, who he describes as his 鈥渟uperheroes.鈥�

鈥淭hey come in and deal with stuff that you wouldn鈥檛 dream of dealing with in your nightmares,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e really stepped up to the plate 鈥� and for no benefit of their own. They go above and beyond the call of duty. They really take care of us down here.鈥�

RCMP have also been helpful in attempting to keep the 鈥渃ontrolled chaos鈥� on Leon Avenue, according to Abougoush.

In the spring, Boyd鈥檚 Tire will be moving to a new location on Clement Avenue.

鈥淚ronically enough, it鈥檚 right beside the new police centre.鈥�

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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