[420 Girl]

BC: Pot activist Tim Felger, who has been evicted from his Abbotsford location, has found a new place in Mission.

Felger won't reveal the location of his new Da Kine "political office," but said he has had the site lined up for some time - before his battle over rent with Dan Banov, the owner of the Abbotsford building at 33770 Essendene Ave.

"I was going to open another store anyway," Felger said.

He said his eviction in Abbotsford simply sped up the process. Felger said he hasn't yet decided if he will apply for a business licence to sell goods from the Mission location.

"It depends how the municipality of Mission treats me," he said.

The City of Abbotsford cancelled Felger's business licence last summer, and he could no longer sell T-shirts, books and other items. The site then operated solely as a political office for the legalization of marijuana.

Felger was forced to vacate the Abbotsford Da Kine last Tuesday, after Banov obtained a court order. He had until Wednesday to remove his belongings or they would be removed for him.

Banov is suing Felger for almost $53,000 in back rent.

Felger has appealed the case, saying he owns half the building and his rent is paid in full. He vowed to win his appeal, return to that location and open a second store in Abbotsford.

"Don't for one minute think I'm leaving, and don't think for one minute that it's over for Dan Banov."

After Felger's eviction, Banov painted over the political statements that covered the storefront. He now plans to do some renovations - including splitting the office space in two - before finding new tenants.

He said he will look for "good paying ones ... that don't cause trouble." The upper floor of the building is already occupied by Bikram Yoga.

Felger's presence in the downtown core has drawn a mix of reactions since he set up there in 2006. Some supported his political views, while others felt he detracted from an area that has undergone a major facelift in recent years.

Gerry Palmer, vice-president of the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association, said Felger's store, with its "cartoonish" paintings on the windows, did not fit in with the look of surrounding businesses. Original 1930s glass on the storefront had been covered up, but can be seen again.

"I'm pleased to see somebody is going to do some work restoring the building," Palmer said.

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