STILL KICKING BUT CHANGES ON THE HORIZON
August 3, 2017 by tiiupoder
Well it’s been an interesting few days. Our lease was due to expire this December but was revoked by the Dobsons days before the Legion repatriated it. This month the Legion has privately sold the building to Antigonish mayor Laurie Boucher and her husband Jaques who would become the new owners of our lease.
Given the circumstances of late our business has been temporarily crippled from loss of sales due to our closure for inventory in order to assess the damages. A criminal investigation is now underway due to the breach of The Tenancies and Distress for Rent Act that outlines the legal procedures that must be followed if a landlord resorts to the seizure of property.
I asked our new landlords for a period of grace by means of a temporary reduction of rent while we regroup and recover but they have instructed the agents of the Legion to inform me that the terms of the lease are non-negotiable and that they would also require a deposit of a full months rent on top of the immediate payment of the monthly rent. We were given until August 5 to sign the lease and if we did not agree we have been asked to vacate the premises by August 9. We have no choice but to do so.
As a result we have one more weekend in Antigonish before we begin our move to Pictou. The store will re-open Friday, August 4 from noon until 6 pm. And we will be open all day Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
For our last days in Antigonish come and visit and enjoy our gift to you…
50% OFF ALL MERCHANDISE!
We begin our move to the town of Pictou on Sunday.
The new address for Aphrodite Art and Fashion is The Olde Foundry at 104 Front Street, Pictou. We will open for business there on Saturday, August 12, 2017. More good news to follow.
Come and see us this weekend and scoop up some great bargains on beautiful merchandise! Here’s how the store looks today….
Thank you to all of our amazing friends who have turned themselves inside out to advocate for me while I was away and to offer their help through this crazy time. And a big thanks to all of you who have shown your tremendous support through your comments and shares on social media. Facebook hits are over 35,000 now and blog hits are over 25,000. That’s a lot for a small business in a small community don’t you think? There’s a silver lining in every cloud!
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Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments
Hi Tiiu,
Life certainly does pitch its curves, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry to hear about all this trouble you’ve experienced over the last little while. Antigonish’s loss is Pictou’s gain. Wishing you great success with the move and am very happy that you’ve received such support from friends and customers. I have great memories of stopping by while working at the theatre a couple of summers ago. Your hospitality and generous spirit warmed my heart and made me feel at home.
All the best and hopefully I’ll see you in your wonderful new store someday!
Mauralea
Mauralea Austin (902) 868-1168
Good day Tiiu,
What a terrible situation to have to deal with in a peak selling season. You have done an excellent job with your PR and told it as it is.
I can’t imagine that these people thought they could simply sell your merchandise without following the law and also the items on consignment as they did not even belong to the store which means they were selling the property of others.
I hope you are able to get significant restitution for all of your hardship and obvious losses.
I look forward to seeing you in your new location in Pictou.
Best Regards and all the best.
George
http://www.georgeklass.com +1.902.957.5527 http://www.crowsjoy.com
“to have fun, laugh a lot and capture moments that enrich the lives of others”
You can tell what a woman is made of by the way she handles the challenges in her life. Tiiu, you have been besieged and your business has been violated. Throughout this ordeal you have shown ‘grace under fire’. Your example is an inspiration to us all.
So sorry it had to end this way. Best of luck in Pictou. Toni MacDonell
Sounds like the mayor and hubby are close relatives of our nut job president in the US. My wife and our friends always enjoyed your store when we visited the Antigonish area from Boston. Hopefully both the Don and the mayor will be one term wonders!