in Edmonton. Chekowski was sold on a plan to turn the area into a mini Whyte Avenue, but that hasn’t happened.“Nobody wants to come here, because let’s face it, it’s a dump.”
Love isn’t enough. Chekowski said she has faced several issues including theft and vandalism. One time she even chase a thief after he left her store. “It was a stainless steel ring, it wasn’t a million-dollar ring or anything, but the fact that he thought because I was in a wheelchair and I was an old woman that I would let him get away with it, well, it took me 30 seconds to chase him down the street and he handed me back my ring.”On top of everything, ongoing road construction in Fort Road has also meant less customers.
“People would phone and I would try to tell them how to get here, but they never showed up because they couldn’t figure it out.” When the landlord said she was selling the building and would include a condition to continue the lease, Chekowski decided she invested enough time in this area and it’s time to close.