Local business owners have mixed feelings about the future prospects for business growth in Westlock, but in general the outlook isn’t overly optimistic.
Ali Jamaly, who has operated the TRU Hardware store downtown for more than 20 years, said he hates to see more and more businesses closing their doors in Westlock.
“It does hurt to see all these empty spots,” he said. “It’s not good for the town and it’s not good for any visitors coming into town. It portrays a very bad image.”
And as for how to encourage businesses to stick around and get new businesses into town, there are two things he would like to see — lower taxes and increased investment in beautification.
“In the downtown core, I would say they’ve raised the taxes to the maximum so that renting spaces has become very unaffordable for any business to survive,” he said.
As for beautification, Jamaly said he and other business owners have been lobbying consistently to get improvements to the lighting downtown and to get some trees planted for years.
“We’ve been telling them to put some more lighting to help prevent all this crime. Put some money back that you have taxed us for years,” he said. “I have been here for 22 years and I haven’t seen a penny even go into the sidewalks.”
Jamaly’s own business is doing reasonably well, he said, because the hardware trade is a fairly steady one.
“If you look at the hardware industry in town they’re all doing well; but anybody else, it’s tough to do business,” he said.
Crystal Massia is a relatively new business owner in town. Her Garage Sale store sees some busy days and some slow days, but the fact she’s still here after two and a half years is a positive sign.
Nonetheless, she agrees that the cost of rent in Westlock can make it difficult for businesses that are just starting out — although she seems to have weathered the storm.
“So far, so good,” she said. “I try to help out in the community, too, and that changes what I put in my pocket.”
What’s more significant than the issue of rent, however, is the fact fewer and fewer people seem to be shopping locally.
“They’re heading into the city to go to the big box stores because their prices are cheaper,” she said. “And with the Internet, it’s so much easier to just click a mouse and have the stuff show up within three to five business days.”
Massia also sees a greater need for physical improvements to the downtown core, as well. Things look a bit shabby with boarded up windows and empty storefronts.
“When you walk down Main Street, it’s not so wonderful,” she said.
For Tina Wold, who runs the Flower Shoppe in Westlock, the fact that many customers still shop locally is the only thing keeping the doors open.
“My customers that come here are awesome customers. I’m very pleased,” she said. “Without our local customers, I think I would be lost.”
And as she looks at what’s happening with other businesses downtown, there’s only one word to describe it: “Scary.”
“Are we a dying town? I’m hoping not,” she said. “We see a lot of growth everywhere else, but I just don’t know.”
Wold has been relatively active with the local Chamber of Commerce, but with that organization’s profile shrinking in the community due to a lack of volunteers, businesses aren’t benefiting.
“We need someone who is willing to spend the time,” she said. “When you put a business owner on a committee and expect them to work so many hours, it makes it very hard to do.”
Jamaly said he believes that people shopping local is important, but noted the city has always been there and people have always done some of their shopping there.
For him, what it all comes down to is how the town treats business owners — raising taxes to pay for their financial mismanagement — taking on a large debt to build the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre is the most prominent example.
“I think they’re out of touch with the money. The only way they can raise money is by raising taxes,” he said. “You spend what you have. If you don’t have it, you don’t spend it.”
