Premier David Eby's high-profile commitment to lead a turnaround in Vancouver's troubled Downtown Eastside has been dealt a significant blow. The catalyst was the recent announcement by London Drugs that it will permanently close its large store in the Woodward's building, a location once heralded as a cornerstone for neighbourhood renewal.
A Final Decision After a Plea from the Premier
Last week's confirmation from London Drugs President Clint Mahlman to shutter the 27,000-square-foot outlet on February 1, 2026, followed a last-ditch appeal from the premier's office. Eby's representative contacted Mahlman, asking the retail giant to reconsider its decision. Mahlman's response was unequivocal: the move was final.
In discussions with Postmedia's Dan Fumano and CKNW's Jas Johal, Mahlman painted a stark picture of the operational reality that forced the closure. He cited an untenable environment where staff and customers were regularly exposed to violence, theft, and hazardous conditions. "We just can't continue to withstand exposing our staff and customers to this environment and continue to absorb these losses," Mahlman stated.
Years of Unheeded Warnings from Business Coalition
While the closure represents a setback for Eby's plans, the premier received ample forewarning. The business community had been sounding alarms for years about deteriorating conditions in downtown cores across British Columbia.
In late October 2023, Clint Mahlman helped found the Save Our Streets (SOS) coalition, a group of dozens of retailers and business associations. At its inaugural news conference, they declared an "epidemic" of violence, vandalism, and theft. Mahlman dramatically highlighted the severity by revealing that employees at the downtown Vancouver London Drugs were wearing stab-proof vests for protection.
"We hear from politicians all the time that they share our concerns," Mahlman said at the time. "But we're well past the point that words don't mean much. We want to see measurable results."
In response, Premier Eby, who had taken "ownership" of the DTES's problems before being sworn in in 2022, assured the coalition of action. He promised more resources, tougher enforcement, and advocacy to Ottawa for bail and Criminal Code reforms.
A Failed Vision and Mounting Losses
Despite these assurances, measurable improvement failed to materialize for the coalition. By the transition from 2024 to 2025, London Drugs was openly considering abandoning the Woodward's location it had occupied since 2009.
Mahlman reflected on the broken promise of the original investment, telling Dan Fumano, "We bought into the vision of the governments of the day, wanting to use investment in the community to revitalize the area." That vision has not been realized. The store never turned a profit, leading Mahlman to pose critical questions: "How much money are we expected to lose for the community benefit? How many staff members have to be injured?"
The closure of the London Drugs anchor store now stands as a tangible symbol of the ongoing challenges in the Downtown Eastside and a significant political challenge for Premier David Eby, who had personally pledged to fix the neighbourhood's deep-seated woes.
