Michael Comstock: Fix tracks, wreck stores

By Michael Comstock – 

This missive arrived at the Corktown Residents and Business Association from Almaz Yiman, owner of Amadea Spice Market at 526 Queen St. E.:

“As a brand new business I am particularly devastated by this, and it will throw my shop’s finances, already fragile, into absolute crisis. TTC has a construction project for the Parliament streetcar that is affecting businesses from Gerrard to King.

“We along the northwest strip of Queen St. E. at Parliament awoke (July 21) to find railway tracks on the road in front of six store entrances, deposited overnite. A Johnny on the Job on the sidewalk in front of our store entryways.

“We received NO notice of the project whatsoever!

“However the businesses on the EAST side of Parliament got a 2-page project implications plan delivered the night of July 21, when they put the track in front of our stores on the West side. Yet they didn’t think we should be notified as well? The entire project is scheduled thru Dec. 1.

“The Queen-Parliament intersection will be shut down July 30 thru Aug. 16. No traffic, diversion of public transport Eastern to Church, no parking, deliveries only by prior arrangement with the project management, etc.

“The strips adjacent to the intersection will become a no-man’s land.

“To be repeated at other intersections in specific date windows. I am in the process of cutting staff hours and laying off due to this. That’s how bad the impact will be on our customers’ access to our businesses.”

Read more from Comstock this month in Columnists at www.thebulletin.ca.