Hudson Bay Co. department stores across British Columbia closed temporarily on Tuesday due to the immense “strain” on air conditioning systems in the midst of a heat wave. Stores in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Surrey and Richmond were shuttered as that company dealt with problems springing from its air conditioning systems in multiple stores. While many stores closed Tuesday, the Vancouver Sun reported some locations closed down days earlier. “The current heat wave has caused strain on HVAC systems in certain Hudson’s Bay locations,” said company spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre, per the Sun. “We are working to address this as quickly as possible. The comfort and well-being of customers and associates remains our top priority.”She did not elaborate. A complete list of stores was not disclosed, nor was there any details on a timeline for how long stores will remain closed. She also would not say why so many stores are having HVAC problems at the same time. “As the situation is fluid, signage will be posted at the individual store level.”The employees at the Vancouver flagship store are “not sure” when it will reopen, while staff at stores in West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Victoria, Nanaimo, Abbotsford and others confirmed to the Sun stores were closed Tuesday. The closures are limited to Hudson’s Bay. Other stores in the malls where the above are located remain open.The Langley Hudson’s Bay store reportedly stayed open. According to Vancouver retail analyst David Ian Gray, HVAC failures are due to poor infrastructure in addition to the heat wave. “It’s not just the heat wave. They’ve let go of the infrastructure and now they’re paying the price,” he said.
