Pic-A-Flic Video, one of the last places in Greater Victoria to rent a movie or TV series, plans to close its doors in September after four decades.
The store’s lease is up at the end of September, and owner Kent Bendall said the “writing’s on the wall, unfortunately.”
Opened in 1983, Pic-A-Flic has more than 25,000 titles, from silent movies to new releases, most of which are not available on streaming services or anywhere else, Bendall said.
The store was in Cook Street village until five years ago, when it moved to the Stadacona Centre near Pandora Avenue and Fort Street.
“It’s the loss of a huge chunk of art you’re just not going to be able to access anywhere else,” he said.
Bendall bought the video rental store seven years ago, and has worked there for a total of 22 years. Closing the store will mean saying goodbye to “something that’s been a part of a big chunk of my life,” he said.
Regular customers, from seniors to young families, have helped keep the store alive over the years he said.
Bendall said he has received an “outpouring of love and sadness” since he announced the closure on social media Tuesday.
He hopes to find a buyer who will purchase the store’s entire collection.
An online petition was started Tuesday to have the Greater Victoria Public Library and the University of Victoria buy the store’s inventory.
Bendall said he’d love to see the collection go to the library or another location where it would be appreciated and shared with others.
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