Community response halts plans to vacate Granville Island Tuck Shop

The Tuck Shop that resides in the Granville Island Public Market no longer has to vacate its newsstand within the next two months.

In a tweet, MP Hedy Fry suggested that the community response to the news that the shop would be forced to vacate played a large role in the new development.

It’s good news for store owner Chia-Ning Chen, who runs this shop to help cover rent and to pay the bills.

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Daily Hive spoke with Chen about the update. She’s happy that she doesn’t have to vacate soon, but she didn’t seem thrilled about the current suggested alternative: a kiosk outside.

“It’s better to stay inside the building than a standalone cage.”

She suggested she had concerns about security and theft in a potential transition to a kiosk.

While we were on the phone with Chen, we could overhear her speaking to a customer to sign her petition, and the customer was eager to do so, offering his support.

We asked how the community response has made her feel.

“I feel very overwhelmed. I didn’t know that I got so many supporters. I think they’re really attached to the Granville Island Public Market because it’s been here so long.”

She added that it’s a part of their memory.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which owns and operates the island and its future developments, had felt that The Tuck Shop didn’t fit into the long-term vision.

Fry’s tweet suggests that she heard the community “loud and clear,” and that her office would be working with management to find a positive solution for Chen.

“Thank you to my constituents who took the time to share your concerns about the Tuck Shop’s future on Granville Island.”

Granville Island newsstand doesn’t have to vacate within next weeks: https://t.co/rJmwPzzpXc #GranvilleIsland #VancouverCentre pic.twitter.com/WCE82dOlJj

— Dr. Hedy Fry (@HedyFry) March 2, 2022

Someone tweeted in reaction to Fry’s update saying, “You supported the evictions! How out of touch with your community can you be?”

The island as a whole — a popular tourist destination — is going to be seeing major changes implemented within the next 20 years as part of CMHC’s Granville Island 2040 vision.

The plan includes four strategic phases, including improving access, expanding the public market — which impacts businesses like The Tuck Shop — embracing arts and innovation, and restoring and sustaining the public realm.

Thankfully, the community still has a place to get the morning paper, a drink, or a snack for the foreseeable future.