Douglas Todd: The deterioration of West Vancouver's wealthy Ambleside Village

The difficulties of Ambleside Village have been discussed by various West Vancouver councils for a long time — even decades, said Cameron. It came up on council’s agenda this Monday.

Why is this seaside shopping district, located in the heart of abundant wealth and ultraexpensive housing, struggling? And how do its challenges echo those of retail hubs in other well-off neighbourhoods?

One of the most obvious existential impediments to revival is giant Park Royal Mall, which is only a kilometre to the east and draws away potential customers.

Pinpointing the other problems facing Ambleside Village tends to be more elusive.

So who is dropping the ball here? The article goes round in circles and the only thing I've learned is that the Ambleside Village is getting killed by the mall. Does the council have nothing else to offer in terms of explanations after decades of discussion? Or did Cameron fail to communicate them? Or did Todd forget to ask about it? Or decided to to include them in the article?

God damn it, what a frustrating read. Feels like I've just read the longest ass watered down introduction to an upcoming article.

6 comments

Turns out that being accessible by transit is good for business. Who woulda think.
- I'm sure rents are probably a reason too, not sure how any small business could survive in a district where the average house price is like 3.5 million.
The difficulties of Ambleside Village have been discussed by various West Vancouver councils for a long time — even decades, said Cameron. It came up on council’s agenda this Monday.
Why is this seaside shopping district, located in the heart of abundant wealth and ultraexpensive housing, struggling? And how do its challenges echo those of retail hubs in other well-off neighbourhoods?
One of the most obvious existential impediments to revival is giant Park Royal Mall, which is only a kilometre to the east and draws away potential customers.
Pinpointing the other problems facing Ambleside Village tends to be more elusive.
So who is dropping the ball here? The article goes round in circles and the only thing I've learned is that the Ambleside Village is getting killed by the mall. Does the council have nothing else to offer in terms of explanations after decades of discussion? Or did Cameron fail to communicate them? Or did Todd forget to ask about it? Or decided to to include them in the article?
God damn it, what a frustrating read. Feels like I've just read the longest ass watered down introduction to an upcoming article.