For Lisa Arthurs, the three nights each summer of Vancouver’s Celebration of Light were about more than fireworks — they were make-or-break for her small business.

“Those two Saturdays are the busiest of the year,” said the owner of The Quick Nickel, a West End clothing store. “People are buying everything from bikinis to sweatshirts, all in a few hours.”

Arthurs joined hospitality and tourism leaders on Wednesday in expressing dismay over the cancellation of B.C.’s largest public event. Organizers blamed soaring costs and declining government and corporate funding. Local businesses warn that losing the festival — which drew hundreds of thousands of visitors each year — could deliver a crippling blow to the West End’s tourist economy.

“How many more years can our small businesses surviv

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