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Taste of B.C. founder evicts Blue Star Foods after claims of rent delinquency

Steve Atkinson, founder of Taste of B.C. Aquafarms, said he has evicted Blue Star Foods Corp. from its property due to what he alleges as rent delinquency.

Florida-based Blue Star Foods, acquired the Nanaimo, B.C.-based RAS farm in 2021 and Atkinson said over the last three years, specifically in the last year, the company has hardly paid rent on time. “They’ve been repeatedly delinquent in their rent,” he told RAStech Magazine.

One of two letters sent to Blue Star reads that the company owes rent on the property owned by Kathryn Joy Atkinson, Steve’s daughter-in-law. Steve said other than rent, the company has refused to get insurance and while their lease requires them to keep the equipment in good condition, they haven’t.

“We have been informed that you have continuously been delinquent of the payment of both basic rent and additional rent pursuant to Sections 6 and 10 of the Lease and are currently in default of your repair, maintenance, and insurance obligations pursuant to Sections 32, 33, and 37 of the Lease,” one of the letters to Blue Star reads.

The letter states that numerous emails and letters providing notice of default were sent but they didn’t make the payment for the outstanding rent.

Blue Star is said to owe $2,560.40 in basic rent and additional rent of $1,947.56, due to failure to address the defaults in maintenance issues. On the other property owned by Steve and his wife, Janet Atkinson, the company is said to have outstanding basic rent of $2,798.24. 

Atkinson has therefore asked Blue Star to leave on or before July 15. Blue Star has not responded to RAStech Magazine’s email for questions.