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Terrace second hand store hopes to renew lease

The store's location is owned by the City of Terrace
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BARRY Fowler is doing a work placement stint at the Terrace and District Community Services Society's second hand furniture store and Agnes Walker is a full time volunteer.

A SECONDHAND furniture store will be getting a new lease on life at its current location if a negotiation to continue using a city-owned building works out.

The Core Store, which is entering its third year of operation, and run by the Terrace and District Community Services Society, also sells used electronics and other household items donated by residents and sold at prices affordable to those on a low or fixed income.

The society hopes to continue a mutually beneficial relationship with the city by extending its lease of the building that used to be the garden centre at the former Terrace Co-op complex on Greig Ave. just to the west of the Best Western Terrace Inn for another year at the cost of $1.

The city now owns the land on which the complex was located and the city demolished the main Co-op building several years ago in order to sell the property, leaving just the garden centre building standing.

Last year, the Core Store brought in $21,500 which was, minus operation costs, put back into its Living Room outreach centre which rents space in a Seventh Day Adventist Church-owned building on the corner of Sparks and Davis.

The Living Room provides food, clothing, counselling and a day shelter for local homeless and low income people.

“It's been better than anticipated and almost everything we had hoped,” said Terrace and District Community Services Society director Jeannette Anderson of the Core Stores's first years.

Running the store is done solely by volunteers, with Agnes Walker always on hand during the open hours which are 10-4 Tuesday to Friday and 10-2 on Saturday.

According to Christine Losier from the society, the store runs on principles of environment, employability and community with its focus on keeping household items out of the landfill.

Volunteers or those on social programs can work at the store learning skills that will help them land retail jobs.

At risk youth and also at risk adults can come to the Core Store and receive a quote on all the furnishings they will need for a new home and receive it all at a discounted price, said Losier.

The store is always looking for volunteers, especially those with vehicles capable of hauling furniture.

The store does have one other challenge and that is people dropping off furniture and other items when it is closed.

Often what's dropped off simply isn't suitable for re-sale, said Losier.

Although the community services society anticipates having its lease extended for one year very soon, the long term use of the city-owned building is less certain.

That's because the city has a conditional agreement with a Calgary hotel company to buy the former Terrace Co-op property and build a hotel there.

Anderson said the society has been looking at alternative locations should the day come when the store has to move.