Cambie Warriors winning battle

By Sandra Thomas-Staff writer

For the past two years, Jilbert Sokasians has watched one neighbouring business after another close for good or relocate due to disruptions caused by the construction of the city's new rapid transit system.

But the Cambie street store owner is staying. Last week Sokasians expanded his Warriors and Wonders business into the empty space left behind when the designer clothing store Armadillo Boutique relocated to Marpole.

Warriors and Wonders specializes in the sale of high-end knives and collector swords.

"It's like a ghost town," said Sokasians of the Cambie business corridor. "There's no one here. It's been really tough on merchants."

Initially, store owners along the corridor were told bore tunnelling would be used to build the $2-billion Canada Line, which will connect the city to Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport. Instead they discovered two years ago the more disruptive cut and cover tunneling method would be used. Cut and cover tunnelling, underway along much of Cambie, requires the digging of deep trenches in the street and the construction of the transit system in the exposed hole, section by section. Many merchants along the business corridor between 12th Avenue and King Edward have closed or moved.

Sokasians blames the lack of parking for a dramatic decrease in foot traffic, which meant the demise of many stores. But the changes have had one positive effect on his shop, which is largely a destination location.

"I tell my customers 50 per cent of the parking is gone, but so is 90 per cent of the traffic," he said.

With so little foot traffic, Sokasians now stocks less inexpensive merchandise. Instead he deals in high-end pieces sold over the Internet or to regular customers who drive in from as far away as Kelowna to pick up special orders.

"If they're looking for a $1,500 sword you can't find Canada-wide, but we have it, they're going to come to the store," he said. "Especially when it's $700, $800 or $1,000 cheaper than any place else."

Sokasians says his clientele is eclectic but also specific in their needs. The merchandise in the store includes pricey European knives, popular with hunters, police officers and firemen, and decorative and hand-made medieval swords, helmets, shields and battle-axes purchased by collectors, martial-arts schools, the film industry and members of historical re-enactment associations.

"I have a very big clientele list," said Sokasians.

He believes his "attitude" also helped the store to survive on Cambie.

"I play heavy metal music you won't hear anywhere else. I actually have a warning on the front door that says if you don't like explicit lyrics stay out," said Sokasians. "This store isn't like anything you'll find in a shopping mall."

published on 04/13/2007