Downtown Vancouver Store Hit by Repeated Vandalism, Owner Blames Surge in Drug-Related Crime

Sebastian Cortez, owner of the downtown Vancouver butcher shop Sebastian & Co, is seen in his store on Oct. 12, 2022. The store has been subjected to repeated acts of vandalism since opening a year and half ago. Courtesy of Sebastian Cortez

In the past year and a half since Sebastian & Co Fine Meats opened for business in downtown Vancouver, the butcher shop has been hit by severe vandalism five times.

Owner Sebastian Cortez says businesses like his are becoming increasingly troubled by surging crime rates in the city, which he attributes to the burgeoning drug crisis.