Cambie Street
Construction of the Canada Line raised concerns over the disruption of local business near Yaletown, Cambie Street, and No. 3 Road in Richmond. InTransitBC responded by launching an advertising campaign promoting local business on the line. Residents of Cambie Street opposed the building of the Canada Line on their street and advocated instead for the line to be built down the Arbutus Corridor, which is zoned for rail transit. Officials said that Cambie was preferred because the line is shorter, and covers more important and trafficked destinations that can generate more revenue, like Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver City Hall, Oakridge Centre, and Langara College. Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson was a strong supporter of Cambie Street merchants and spoke regularly about hardships from the Canada Line construction. He called the handling of the rail line construction an "injustice." On March 23, 2009, Robertson testified in a lawsuit by a Cambie Street merchant in the BC Supreme Court regarding damage to her business from the construction. The merchant was awarded $600,000 by the court, which ruled that there was insufficient action to mitigate the effects of Canada Line construction on Cambie Street merchants. When the Canada Line opened on August 17, 2009, Robertson said Greater Vancouver needed more rapid transit, but that the Canada Line was a "great start" and that he was a "Johnny-come-lately" to the project.