On Tuesday April 1, 2025, vendors at the crafts Alive Village found themselves unable to access their businesses. It was a high cruise ship day, however, they were unable to do business due to unpaid rent spanning some 10-12 years. 

The City Manager had grown ‘fed up’ of the dire situation. 

Our newsroom has learned that within 24 hours of the lockout, the City Manager’s Office had recouped some $30,000 plus in outstanding fees, and entered numerous payment agreements to resolve the matter. 

No Support From Community

With this not being the first time the issue had arisen publicly, there was a lack of public support for the vendors. The issue first came to light in 2019. At that time, fresh agreements were made to accommodate the vendors. However, it appears that those agreements were not adhered to. 

The Crafts Alive Village was opened in 2013, which indicates that some of the vendors had never honoured their rent agreement.