A hardware store that has been open for almost 90 years in Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village is closing due to vandalism and repeated break-ins.
Dudley’s Hardware Paint & Decor has been a staple of Church Street since 1934. It is located adjacent to The 519, a charitable organization dedicated to serving members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Progress Place, a mental health rehabilitation centre, is also nearby.
The owner of Dudley’s Hardware, Steve Dawson, has worked at the store for over 20 years but will shut down his business this year as the cost of repairs from recurrent robberies and defacement has become unaffordable, and safety concerns continue to grow.
Dawson wrote on the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association Community Forum, a private Facebook group, about his decision to close up shop, according to a Reddit post.
“Hey Folks! Due to the complacency of this neighbourhood to allow this ‘nonsense’ to continue in Barbara Hall Park and on the steps of the 519 everyday the fate of Dudley’s has unfortunately been sealed,” Dawson wrote.
“This will be our final year. We can not continue being targeted…I’ve been vocal for the last 15 years about the issues affecting the neighbourhood and they have landed on deaf ears,” he wrote.
Local residents have expressed safety concerns about an influx of unhoused people to the neighbourhood.
“This location can be extremely troublesome and even as a grown man I have felt unsafe walking through the park. Having to deal with this outside of your doorstep on a daily basis must be frustrating to say the least,.” one user wrote via Reddit, in response to news of Dudley’s closure.
“I live down at Church and Alexander and I love this neighbourhood, but after being harassed once at night and once during the day walking by The 519 I just avoid it all together. It feels very unsafe. I’m sorry Dudley’s is closing but I find it understandable, ” another Reddit user wrote.
Local residents have organized a protest to take place on Saturday, July 22 at 12 p.m. at the intersection of Church and Wellesley streets. They intend to peacefully catch the attention of politicians to help improve safety in the area.
