Amid an ongoing labour shortage and rising prices, including rent, a longtime Quebec bike shop is riding off into the sunset.
Tim Stocker has been working with bikes for nearly his entire life.
At 14, he started working at his family’s bike shop and later on, he opened up Teal Sport in Baie d’Urfe, where he’s been for 35 years.
Now 61, he says he thought he’d still have a few years of work left but recently decided otherwise.
“My wife Shelley and I have decided to retire after 35 years,” he said. “There are several reasons for it – one of the major ones is that the cost of rent is getting out of hand.”
Located in the Plaza Baie d’Urfe strip mall, Stocker says he pays around $7,000 a month in rent.
His lease was up for renewal at the end of July. He says he was told there would be about a 20 per cent increase – which he refused.
“We’re sad to give it up, but it’s too hard for us to work for next to nothing anymore at our age,” he said. “It’s also very hard to find staff, so working seven days a week is just not doable anymore.”
For those who live in the area, the shop is a staple in the community.
“This store is part of the community, it’s been here for so long,” said Anik Vigneault. “I bring my bicycles here to get them serviced and I bought my kids’ bikes here – so it’s really, really sad.”
Vigneault says she understands what the shop is going through all too well.
She owned a long-standing beer and winemaking shop just next door but decided to sell the business late last year for the same reason.
“It kept increasing every time we’d renew our lease agreement and we were at the point where we were at the max; we could not take any more increases,” she said.
Global News reached out to the owners of the building for comment but didn’t hear back by deadline.
Teal Sport says almost everything in the shop is being liquidated and they will most likely be out by August.
“Unfortunately, it’s time,” said Stocker. “Five years earlier than I thought I would, but sometimes, the writing is on the wall.”