My Story- Commercial space land nightmare 101

So here we are 2025, another space another story.....another commercial space empty, a unmeasurable amount of passion and creation and effort, lost but not forgotten. It is time to write my story down, to share my experiences in this corporate world system that just isn't supporting us small guys future growth.

Lets fast forward to 2020, (what a great year obviously sarcastic tone here)......well parts for me were really great because I opened my first commercial space. Well most of you are thinking WTF is she thinking opening a store in 2020...... but for me I created a safe bubble of a store for people to leave the chaos of the outer world and come in, feel safe and accepted no matter your thoughts, feelings, mask no mask. Every single person in all my spaces are welcomed with open arms. That year I gained and made a lot of new friends and acquaintances through my store space. We hosted free circles and gatherings for the local community weekly the following year. I put forth a lot of energy and time to create a store but it wasn't just a store it was a space for people to gather and share and heal.

Well the story is so far fluffy and pretty special lets get to the grit already.

Insert Dominos Pizza, I mean it is in the name ( dominate) they popped into the picture with their briefcases of money offered my landlord THREE times what I was paying for rent in my commercial space. Now can I blame either party here, not really after all they are greedy businessmen in Vancouver making deals to get more briefcases of money.

I did have a moment of disappointment but at the end of the day I went willing without a fight as what's the point fighting big business money with my pennies and shiny rocks.

I should have known the universe was already sending me another lesson the day I found out I was losing my space. A woman was there standing in the center of the store after I turned the lights out that day, our conversations lead to enthusiastic offer of a downtown space. Everything I could have wanted and more, but there was a nagging feeling inside something was off. I took some time to think it though and going against my better judgement and I took the space. Now let me tell you this was a way worse experience, I agreed to share the space with the landlord to sell her paintings and she would let me use a office space as well as the front space for my store.

The FIRST day I opened I was in tears...... I was emotionally and verbally attacked by a girl who was promised by my landlord that I would sell her products in my store.( without even talking-to me or mentioning anything at all) When I learned of this and said NO for once in my life, I was not only attacked by this girl, but also my landlord threating to take away my space. Like WTF I was shocked and should have known it wasn't going to get any better from there.

It didn't, after only 2 months the harassment started. I had to involve the cops a few times as they would randomly unplug my cameras, sneak in the back door and scare me at night. I walked around a total stress ball for that period with mace in my pocket. She posted signs in the space saying customers were not allowed to loiter or use the washroom. It went on and on, and well most of you can see the downtown core of Castlegar is empty....that's due to crazy

Like this level of crazy should be documented for studies.....but wait it gets better

Lets back up for a minute, insert the fire inspector and building inspector in said above space..... after that was when the harassment started. I asked my landlord for rent receipts, as that's what most people do for their taxes and that unleashed a whole new level of cray cray. So I put two and two together now and have realized that this space could have shared some of the same City of Castlegar corruption links as my new space. My landlords were acting crazy and not communicating with me so that investigation part ended.

Here we are all caught up to the recent space, the final commercial space this Fayerie will EVER get involved with. As I have realized what all these spaces have in common, a theme, corruption within a system that is already broken with a side of mis-used power and control. This town isn't resistant to change, the POWERTRIPPERS and control freaks don't want to get out of the circus ring. I believe once this happens our city could be flooded with change, acceptance and a connected community.

But this bougie money lined pocket click doesn't want to lose their comfortable positions of power..... so here we are, final destination.

A few months ago I found a cute little space right in the center of town, trust me a lot of boxes had to be checked for me as I was hesitate to go through all this again. I met my new landlord and instantly felt good, I felt safe to try this again. So I painted got everything set up and applied for my business license, which for me was an easy process( usually). After three weeks of waiting for the city's response they contact me and say a building inspector and fire inspector will come down and do their thing. I thought strange, I never have had that to get a simple business license before. The city officials walk in and tell me I can't be open as I need a building permit first to change the use from office to retail. This same space for years and years has had a mix bag of retail and office, so why the rules now, why me? I felt a bit like a pawn as they went around the building without permission snooping in other spaces within the building. The building official shared that the fire inspector had wanted to get her in here for awhile now.....hmmmm I thought that was a bit targeted.....

Ok so I am willing to play along their game and pay whatever fees they want etc. Well actually the city of Castlegar building inspector quit so they told me I have an 8-12 week wait for a permit. On top of that wait my landlord is required to build an entire store of fire walls and other work.

Might I add I am selling rocks in a three wall cinder block building, I really don't think two interior walls are going to make or break this. But wait....... because I have a retail store there is more traffic ( insert laugh face) then an office space. Clearly the City of Castlegar has never owned a retail crystal and gemstone store. Or they know something I don't about internal combustion of rocks.

So here we are in the only busy time in retail in the year and the City of Castlegar expects me to sit back, wait and pay rent for a space I cant use because they cant provide the services I apparently need.

(Might I add small business basically work to pay rent, we are not making millions over here. I am doing this as a service, I want to help people. I have always had a strong desire to help the community in a multitude of ways.)

So the same common theme between all these commercial space nightmares are the same, greed and misuse of power. Clearly I can see even further, as one small business after another shuts it doors in this town to fly open with a fast food joint. City of Castlegar I am ashamed to call you home, your complete and utter lack of support for local and small businesses shows.

So here I am back in the forest with the Fayeries in the crystal dome, confused at the universe for sending me out on another tangent into a place I clearly don't fit in. So I have put some thought into it and questioned what is the big picture in all this....... my conclusions have shown me this was all for EXPOSURE. It was time for me to speak out and call out these people that need to be held accountable. I have sat quite for years sugar coating shit, but this bear has been poked a few to many times by the same hand of greed.

So if you have gotten anything out of this blog post it should be don't try and open a small business in this town. The community support is undeniable that's what had me out on this limb many times. Well guess what the City of Castlegar power trippers are just out here snapping branches, so save your tree and let it flourish in the forest not the smog filled sewer dump of Castlegar.

Was that last part too much............

Divine Fayerie