The Talize chain of thrift stores is coming to Langley City.
The new outlet will occupy a 28,675 sq. ft. space in the Rainbow Mall at 20450 Logan Ave. behind the Cascades Casino Hotel and Convention Centre centre complex.
Construction is currently underway and the store recently staged a hiring fair at the Cascades.
The Talize store will take up roughly half the strip mall, which is also home to the Mission Thrift Store, part of a volunteer-driven, non-denominational Christian organization that currently operates more than 48 thrift stores across Canada.
Talize, which has its headquarters in North York, Ontario, currently operates eight stores, seven in Ontario and one in B.C., in North Delta.
The stores, which offer a mix of used and new items, clothing and accessories for children, men and women, as well as housewares, books, DVDs, CDs, furniture and electronics, support the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada charity.
The company website says the chain is planning to open two other new stores in Kingston and Barrie, Ontario.
The city issued the construction permit to the Talize project earlier this month (June).
Talize had applied for permission to build its thrift store before council approved new rules to restrict thrift stores and donation boxes in the downtown core.
Effective Jan. 1 of this year, the bylaw forbids thrift stores from going up within 400 metres of other second-hand shops.
It also bans all new drop boxes.
The regulations were passed in response to concerns raised by the Downtown Langley Business Association (DLBA), whose executive director, Teri James, told a council hearing that while the association is “in no way opposed to thrift stores,” it feels the community has become over-saturated.
Since the new rules were introduced, one thrift store has gone out of business, leaving 18 operating in Langley City.
