Living in Toronto, I am used to seeing stores come and go with amazing rapidity. In the Riverdale neighbourhood where I live, stores seem to pop up and drop dead in a matter of minutes. Inevitably as I walk by another store with a sign proclaiming its imminent opening I wonder, “What was there before – was it Perg-Men the Polish Japanese fusion restaurant with perogies in the ramen, or maybe it was that place that sold artisanal gooseberry salad dressing and ‘distressed’ greeting cards made from obituary notices from Toronto newspapers from the 1930s.” Then I wonder how long the new venture will last, unless it’s a Tim’s or Starbucks in which case I wonder why they need to be located on every block. But when these stores are gone, they’re gone, and with them the hopes and dreams of at least a few folks.

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