Redhawks Soar PAGE 19
TUESDAY March 31, 2015 • www.langleytimes.com NEWS Referendum Questions
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Future Shop now a thing of the past
ARTS & LIFE It’s All About Cinergy
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Cup Champs
Six suspects sought in trio of Langley thefts
Walking on Air
ELECTRONICS GIANT JOINS TARGET ON LIST OF MAJOR RETAILERS LEAVING LANGLEY MO N I Q U E TA M M I N G A Ti m e s Re po r t e r
The future for big box retail in Langley and across Canada isn’t looking so bright this week, with Langley’s Future Shop closing its doors abruptly on Saturday and Target to soon follow. Future Shop, an electronic retail store, papered up the doors and closed for good at the Langley Power Centre on 200 Street and the Langley Bypass, joining 130 stores across the country. Employees were given no notice of the plan to close the stores, according to some media reports. The signs on the door say the store is permanently closed. However, the voice mail message for the Langley location says it will re-open as Best Buy on Saturday, April 4. Best Buy already has a store in Langley at 20202 66 Avenue. Best Buy, which bought all the Future Shops in 2001, made the sudden announcement that is was shutting down 66 stores and turning another 65 into Best Buys across Canada. There are an estimated 1,500 job losses to go along with the closures. But Best Buy is honouring all Future Shop returns, warranties, gift certificates and services, the company said on its website page. It also plans to fully pay all existing lease payments on stores that will not reopen. In the same mall, the Mexx clothing store is papered up. That retail company shut down all its Canadian stores a few weeks ago. Just a short distance away at Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Target shoppers have a week left before that retail store closes for good. Target is closing all 133 stores it opened across Canada less than two years ago. Most Targets in Metro Vancouver are anchor tenants and are connected to large malls, as is the case in Langley. Here, Target took over an existing Zellers store and did extensive interior and exterior renovations before opening in the spring of 2013. Target has already closed some B.C. stores, in Chilliwack, Cranbrook and Maple Ridge. There is no word on what might replace the Target store at Willowbrook.
D A N FE R GUS ON Langley Time s
Trapeze artist Caitlyn Mckenzie performs high above the stage at Christian Life Assembly, during the semifinal competition of Langley Has Talent on Saturday night. The young aerialist is among 13 acts to make it through to the finals on Saturday, April 18, where she will compete for a first place prize of $2,500 cash and her choice of industry prizes. Story and more photos on page 16.
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SPORTS
Langley RCMP are asking for the public’s help to locate six suspects in connection with three separate robberies that took place during the past month. In each case, police are looking for a man and a woman. The first incident took place on Feb. 25, when a wallet was stolen from a vehicle outside a business in the 26500 block of Gloucester Way. One of the victim’s credit cards was used at a gas station down the street. The couple is believed to have been driving a red 1999 Pontiac Transport passenger van. They have also been linked to a sage green 2004 Ford Freestar passenger van. The next incident took place a month later, on March 26, when a couple entered the Langley City 7-Eleven store. Police allege they stole several phone chargers valued at approximately $120. That same day (March 26) police were called to an apartment complex in the 5400 block of 203 Street where a break-and-enter had occurred overnight. Continued Page 8
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