Go Time Electric Bikes is opening a new concept electric bicycle store at Uptown on Monday.
The locally owned retailer, operating on Goldstream Avenue since 2012, has seen rapid annual growth as more people look to ebikes as a cost-saving choice for commuting and for exercise.
“We’ve built our business to be Vancouver Island’s leader in electric bike sales and service and we are poised for tremendous growth,” said Paul Paterson of Go Time. “The new store at Uptown has inspired us to step up everything we do, including extending our hours, investing in a new website and creating a store design that we think our customers will be excited about.”
Go Time will feature product lines such as Stromer, considered the “Swiss watch” of electric bikes that comes with its own smartphone app to configure settings, GPS and theft immobilization. The store will also carry Emotion, Izip and Motorino as well as Vancouver-based Eprodigy bikes.
“We’re very excited to be located next to the Galloping Goose switchback connector. It will give us a game-changing opportunity to use the trail to help our customers understand the features and benefits of our electric bikes,” said Paterson.
A grand opening event will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at 111-3680 Uptown Boulevard.
Music awards boon for city
The economic impact of last year’s Western Canada Music Awards far exceeded what organizers had expected. In a report on the event this week, organizers noted 2,495 hotel-room bookings and $5.8 million in delegate and visitor spending.
The Capital Region Music Awards Society bid to host the 2015 Western Canada Music Awards and BreakOut West music industry conference, which was integrated with the Rifflandia Festival from Sept. 17 to 20. Victoria set a new attendance record for BreakOut West and, according to an economic impact analysis by Tourism Victoria, the event’s impact exceeded initial expectations of a few hundred delegates and hotel rooms. The data showed the event added $3.2 million to B.C.’s GDP, paid $1.7 million in wages and provided more than $700,000 in tax revenue and fees for three levels of government.
ABC now Ricky’s
The ABC Country Restaurant at 2900 Douglas St. has been transformed into a new Ricky’s All Day Grill. The franchisees breathing new life into the established eatery are Gary Marnewick and Darrel Crawford. Their 3,595-square-foot restaurant with 26 tables and outdoor patio area opened Wednesday. The new Ricky’s will have breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus with more than 200 choices. The restaurant employs 25 local residents.
