New Westminster thrift store fundraising for hospital asked to move for pot shop

NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130) — For about two years, Lorrie Williams has been coming to volunteer at the New to You thrift shop in New Westminster’s Sapperton neighbourhood.

Williams, a former New West city councillor, says the location along East Columbia – and not too far from Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) – has been a great space, because people are very aware of the store and what it does for the community.

However, she’s incredibly upset, because she’s been told the thrift store will need to find a new space so that a cannabis store, North Root Cannabis, could potentially move in.

Today on @NEWS1130 @CityNewsVAN: time is running out for a thrift store in #NewWestminster's Sapperton neighbourhood. The 'New to You' thrift store has been asked to move to make way for a cannabis dispensary. @DavidZuraCityTV & I have the story for TV and radio. pic.twitter.com/lTQ3nJZKFw

— Ria Renouf ???? (@riarenouf) March 31, 2021

“I’m really disappointed having to leave this spot, because it’s been a good spot and a lucky spot for us, so close to the hospital. “We represent the hospital and support the hospital, and people come in and they know that this is the hospital thrift store. People come from all over the city because we’re here,” she tells CityNews.

Williams is worried they won’t be able to find a location, meaning lost funds for RCH. The thrift store is 100 per cent volunteer-run, and over the years, hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone toward a variety of initiatives at the hospital.

“If it’s far away, we won’t get the support that we’re getting now…I’m thinking that because people associate us with the hospital, they’re more apt to come down, it’s close by, and it’s convenient for them, I suppose,” she explains.

The notice was apparently given nearly two weeks ago, and Williams doesn’t think that the pot shop needs the approximately 1,500 square feet of space the thrift store currently occupies.

“It would sure be nice if the cannabis store could find some place else rather than displacing us. There are a few empty spots around here; it’d be nice if they could go somewhere else. They don’t need this kind of room. You just need almost like a store front for selling cannabis. You don’t need to go the whole length of the property,” she says.

In the meantime, Williams is desperately hoping New to You can find a new space.

“I’m sad. I’m sad to move. I really am. I like where we are, I like the fact that we’re established and people know where we are. It’ll take us a long time to get to this level again at a new location. People are creatures of habit, and if they don’t know where we are they’ll go somewhere else.”

RCH Auxiliary president ‘optimistic’

Lindy Kirkwood is the president of the RCH Auxiliary and says this was actually not a surprise, with the store technically operating in that location on borrowed time. There had been previous discussions about finding a larger space in which to sell and store donated products.

“We’re on a month-to-month rental agreement, we don’t have any high expectations, but, really, [the landlord has] been really generous in the time they’ve given us. They’ve given us over five months’ notice,” she tells NEWS 1130.

Kirkwood says the shop has been a massive cash draw for the hospital, providing money for two different branches.

“We have a fundraising branch and we have a patient comfort branch. In the fundraising branch, the New to You thrift shop is one; we have a gift shop in the hospital, a lottery booth in the hospital, and a used book cart in the hospital. Especially during the year of COVID, our thrift shop has really been the one that is thriving and going. Obviously, the hospital venues have not been able to be open fully,” she says.

She says the store also serves as a community hub; it’s where a number of people in the community have been going to do volunteer work. On the flip side, Kirkwood says this will be an opportunity for the store to branch out.

“We’ve always been looking for a little bit more modern premises, and maybe even a little bit more room, because we are a bit limited in the things we can carry because we only have so much space. It is a great space, it’s a great place to work – that’s where I do my volunteer work – and we love our customers and our donors. They’re all so generous,” she explains.

The thrift shop brought in about 40% of what the auxiliary donated last year in funding (approx $165k) & has until August to find a new space.

The pot shop in question goes to a public hearing sometime in mid-April. More tonight on @NEWS1130 @CityNewsVAN

— Ria Renouf ???? (@riarenouf) April 1, 2021

Because the notice was only recently given, they’ve barely had time to start looking, but expect to do so in the coming weeks. Kirkwood says finding a location will be important because of the $165,000 came from the auxiliary last year, about 40 per cent of that come from the thrift shop.

There will be a public hearing in mid-April to discuss the new shop coming to the neighbourhood.