Whistler merchants feel like they’ve been left by the wayside after council passed a controversial bylaw giving VANOC the right to sell its own food and merchandise during the Winter Games, a local business owner said.

“It’s a bad thing,” said Maxine Serfas, co-owner of the Trading Post, a family-run clothing and souvenir shop that sells Olympic paraphernalia. “I don’t know what their idea is in approving that.”

Last December, council voted five to one against the third reading of a bylaw that would have given VANOC the chance to set up temporary commercial tents and accommodation during the 2010 Games.

At the time, councillors feared that local businesses would be hurt by the legislation. There was also speculation the resort municipality wanted to send VANOC a message about plans to cancel medal ceremonies in Whistler’s $13.6 million Celebration Plaza.

The 2010 organizing committee has since indicated that no medals will be awarded in the Plaza as part of cost cutting measures in its revised budget. And yesterday, Whistler council unanimously approved the disputed bylaw after meeting with VANOC CEO John Furlong and executive vice-president Terry Wright.

Serfas said local merchants are disappointed by the decision, given that VANOC already takes a cut from all sales of 2010 paraphernalia.

She added that her store has been paying “exorbitant” lease rates in the lead-up to the Games and now fears that VANOC will squeeze out small businesses by offering Olympics gear at reduced prices.

“We supported their clothing and things all along,” she said. “Now they want to set up tents and sell their own stuff and make more money on it and cut us out.”

Councillor Tom Thomson said VANOC officials Furlong and Wright “alleviated a great amount of concern” when they met with council yesterday. Reassurances included an agreement to only set up temporary stores and food-outlets near venues, and not in the Whistler village.

Though Thomson acknowledged competition will still exist, he said so many visitors will come to Whistler for the Games that both the organizing committee and local merchants can turn a profit.

“We expect somewhere between 50,000 and 52,000 heads in beds per night,” Thomson said. “Most of the businesses it would appear will have a tremendous amount of clientele.”

The councillor said many people are disappointed that medals will be presented at competition venues instead of the Plaza, but prohibitively high security costs played a role in VANOC’s decision.

“They have a larger master and it’s called their budget,” he said.

Thomson said the Plaza will likely host nightly celebrations with winning athletes instead of medal ceremonies.

Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for the Hook.