A judge has granted a default order against Armand Hurford and Republic Bicycles for approximately $26,700.
At a hearing at North Vancouver Provincial Court on July 25, Judge Joseph Galati granted Trek Bicycle Canada ULC’s default order against Hurford and his former business Republic Bicycles Incorporated.
The majority of the total amount stems from 10 Trek invoices sent to Republic Bicycles dated between Sept. 2021 and July 2022 that Trek said were unpaid. The invoices were for “various bicycles and bicycle components,” reads the original notice of claim from Trek.
Since the original notice, Trek has added interest plus filing and service fees for a final total of $26,706.95.
Neither Hurford nor legal representatives for him or Republic Bicycles were at the July 25 hearing.
At the time of the hearing, Hurford was in the District of Squamish’s council chambers as mayor for a special business meeting.
Legal representatives for Trek told Galati that neither Hurford nor Republic Bicycles had responded in the allotted time since being served at Municipal Hall on June 20. Thus, they filed the default order.
“You can take the order that's going against both defendants,” said Galati at the hearing.
This means that the judge is giving the claimant, Trek, what it is asking for, requiring Hurford to pay the amount.
A spokesperson for the District directed The Squamish Chief to contact Hurford directly for comment on this story as the matter was personal and “not related to District business.”
The Chief reached out to Hurford, who said that he working to “resolve all related issues to Republic.”
“We're working on resolving all the loose ends of closing the business after 16 years,” he said.
Hurford closed Republic Bicycles, located on Government Road in Brackendale, after he was elected mayor in December 2022. No new business has since moved into the location.
Hurford said at the time that the closure would allow him to fully commit himself to his new role as mayor.
