Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Years of flooding at his store may actually turn out to be a good thing for Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez, better know under his stage name Godson, is the general manager of CD Plus in Centre Square Mall.

Aaron Hernandez, general manager of CD Plus in Centre Square Mall, stands in front of the store's temporary location beside the mall elevator while its flagship location near 50 Street undergoes renovations. Hernandez said there's a chance the new location may actually be permanent. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

The CD store's location of 10 years, across the hall from the Bank of Montreal, has undergone damage as a result of water from rain storms seeping into the store walls.

"We've had many floodings over the years here," said Hernandez. "That was the exclamation point as to why we have to do get some stuff fixed in here."

The store is currently undergoing renovations to fix the damage. In the meantime, the store has relocated to a glassed-in location beside the Centre Square Mall elevator across from YK Dollar Store.

But something unexpected has happened. Hernandez said he actually likes the temporary store better, and discussions are underway about possibly relocating the store permanently there or somewhere else in the mall.

"After seeing the (new) location, I'd rather be on the other side and stay away from (50) street," said Hernandez. "It's like a whole new world on the other side of the mall, for some reason. You put up with less hassles from the regular street-goers. It's just a cleaner side of the mall."

On some days, business has actually picked up at the new place.

"It's actually done pretty good," said Hernandez. "The first day we opened was a lot better than we normally would have done on a Friday."

The glass front is more aesthetically pleasing and roots out troublemakers, he said, adding the store, fronting on 50 Street, has experienced a few petty thefts over the years.

"Less thefts occur when there's not an open entrance," said Hernandez.

"And people like to look through the windows of shops and see what's in there."

"There's little petty things here and there," he said of the old location.

"But it's a lot easier to take care of when you have a closed entrance."

Hernandez said it's possible if the store stays in its new location, it well expand to the adjacent lot. This would make the new CD Plus location just as big as the damaged one.

But Hernandez is quick to add a decision on the future of CD Plus is still pending.

"I say within the next couple of weeks a clearer picture will come ahead but right now everything is still wait and see," he said.