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100 Mile optometrist questions council on pop-up business

Council received a letter from Dr Specs read by local optometrist Neil VanderHorst
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100 Mile Vision Centre owner and optometrist Neil VanderHorst reads a letter penned by his colleague Susan Mason the owner of Dr Specs Optical to the District of 100 Mile House council. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

A review of how the District of 100 Mile House rents out the 100 Mile House Community Hall will be undertaken following a complaint from the business community. 

The complaint centred around a recent pop-up sale of glasses conducted by Great Glasses 3 for 1 in the community hall on Jan. 14. Dr. Neil VanderHorst of 100 Mile Vision Care Centre delivered the complaint written by his colleague Dr Specs Optical manager Susan Mason, whose business lies just across from the community hall. VanderHorst told council that Mason was too emotional to attend in person and approached him in tears to request he read her letter.  

"It's a question and a little bit of commentary. My question is what power do you have to approve or disapprove of people as they apply for business permits as they apply for pop-up businesses in our town?" VanderHorst asked. "The one that affects my business and the business of Susan Mason was the Great Glasses 3 for 1 sale they had at the community hall." 

VanderHorst confirmed council had received Mason's letter before reading a few poignant passages from the message. In her letter, Mason noted Great Glasses has four brick-and-mortar businesses in the Lower Mainland. According to the company's website, they offer pop-up events, such as the one that occurred in 100 Mile House, selling glasses and offering free eye tests. 

Mason said she felt it was improper for the company to conduct a pop-up here, noting that like Williams Lake and Quesnel, where the company has also done pop-ups, 100 Mile House has both a local optometrist office and an optical retail outlet. 

"In my opinion, there was no reason for 3 for 1 to take money away from existing businesses. Allowing in outside businesses and vendors takes away money from our community," Mason wrote. "I'm a big advocate for shopping local and I've always said if you don't shop local you won't have local shops."

In her letter, Mason said she is now getting people coming through her door who attended the sale asking her to properly adjust the glasses they bought and telling her they can't see properly. VanderHorst added he has also dealt with issues in the last few weeks.  Mason said she is now having to implement a charge for these services, something she did not do before. 

"I'm sure you can appreciate these doors cannot stay open on minor repairs and adjustments alone. Like everyone else I have store costs that need to be met," Mason wrote. "I hear so many people complain about how 100 Mile businesses are charging too much but unfortunately prices do need to go up when people choose to shop online, out of town or when pop-up shops come into the community." 

Mason said she is upset the company was allowed to rent the 100 Mile House Community Hall, noting the 100 Mile business community has been hit hard in the past few years due to wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic factors. She wrote the last thing they need is businesses from out of town taking more money from their pockets. 

She also levelled criticism against the owner of Great Glasses, Bruce Bergez, pointing out he was a "man that violated Ontario Regulations in regard to Optican Licensing and was banned from doing business in Ontario and subsequently came to BC." Regardless of his past, she feels it was inappropriate for him to come to 100 Mile House in the way he did. 

According to the Supreme Court of Canada, Bergez was sentenced to a year in prison in 2010 after refusing to comply with several court orders relating to his Great Glasses business. Court records state that Bergez was selling glasses despite Ontario's requirement at the time that a patient be examined by an optometrist or physician before being prescribed glasses.

Bergez instead used a computerized machine called the Eyelogical System to test his clients' eyes and continued to do so despite several court orders telling him to stop. In addition to being sentenced to jail, Bergez was fined millions of dollars. Bergez resurrected his company in Chilliwack in 2011. 

When reached for comment by the 100 Mile Free Press, Bergez described his previous legal troubles as being a form of "lawfare." He noted that B.C. deregulated the sale of eyeglasses in 2010, saying this prioritized consumer choice above all else. 

"In Ontario, Great Glasses was an early disruptor in the Optical field who, much like Uber’s first challenges to the taxi industry, was unsuccessful in what amounted to a 10-year 'turf-war' battle now commonly described as 'lawfare'," Bergez stated.

Regarding taking money away from local businesses, Bergez said that all companies compete for market shares by providing consumers with the value of choice. He said that these days some people shop online for eyeglasses which can lead to poor results. He asserted that his pop-ups bridge that gap. 

"Generally, we seek out cities and towns that are underserviced and where customers tell us that they feel ripped off. BC small towns are notorious for having very expensive eyewear and limited frame choices," Bergez explained. "Choosing locations is really not that scientific. Our stores in the Lower Mainland attract (people) from all over the province. We usually attend a town or city based on the recommendations of those customers who tell us they feel ripped off in their town or offered products they don’t need."

Finally, Bergez said he found the claims of VanderHorst and Mason having to adjust glasses sold by his company as "dubious". He did note, however, that would provide them an opportunity to highlight how their own services were better. 

Following the statement given to council, VanderHorst asked what criteria they looked for to say no to someone wanting to rent the community hall for a business purpose. 

Sheena Elias, the district's director of financial administration, answered telling him there are no prerequisites for business licenses to rent the community hall for any reason. If someone wants to rent the hall to run a flea market there is no distinction between that and a pop-up business. 

"So someone could come operate business here but because they're doing it for only one event, or however long they rent the community hall, they don't have any hoops to jump through for business approval?" VanderHorst asked. 

Coun. Dave Mingo, who chaired the meeting, told VanderHorst there were no restrictions currently in place but said that may change after reading Mason's letter. Coun. Donna Barnett noted no one on council knew the pop-up sale was happening as they don't check in to who rents the community hall. 

"I'm glad she wrote the letter because it brings up something that has been a bugbear from time to time with the business community which is pop-up vendors. We've seen it for years and years over at the hotel with their flags and whatever else they were selling," Barnett said. "I think council has to direct staff to come up with some more paperwork. Something that says when you rent the community hall you're going to have to identify yourself and that if you are a business you'll have to have a proper business license (in 100 Mile House) before you can rent that community hall."  

Mingo told VanderHorst council will be discussing ways to protect the business community of 100 Mile House and regulate pop-up style businesses. Coun. Marty Norgren noted that Mason and VanderHorst have highlighted the problem and it is now council's job to provide an answer. 

"I totally regret this has happened. It was a loophole that he found," Mingo said, referring to Bergez. "I felt so bad when I read her letter and realized it was right across the street (from her business)."

Bergez said his company has an intention to revisit 100 Mile House and the South Cariboo as part of an expansion of their pop-up program. 

"As with our pop-up in 100 Mile House, both Williams Lake and Quesnel have seen extreme satisfaction with the service and value we provide," Bergez said.



Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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