Photo description:

Ruth Bonneville Free Press LOCAL - Portage Ave. Crime Three business owners along Portage Ave. are battling relentless crime, fires and drug use around their stores making it difficult at times for them and their customers. Neighbouring businesses are also fed up with open drug use, vandalism, threats, etc., Photo, of (from right to left), Patty Antoniak and Susan Lockhart with Just Like New to You thrift store, Mike Baire, owner of Mikey’s Barbershop and Brendan Gali with Public Domain, in front of their businesses on Portage ave. Friday. Story: THRIFT STORE FRUSTRATION: A downtown thrift store battling relentless crime says the community has rallied around it — but not the NDP government. Susan Lockhart, president of Just Like New to You, said the store is being ignored by the NDP government as it calls for the province to extend a security rebate program to non-profit stores. See story by Chris Kitching May 8th, 2026