New Westminster isn’t buying what the Competition Bureau is selling.
The Competition Bureau recently ordered Sobeys Inc. to sell 23 stores in Western Canada, including the Thrifty Foods in Sapperton, before it would approve the company’s purchase of Safeway Canada. The announcement that the local Thrifty Foods must be sold has been met with considerable concern among New Westminster residents.
Coun. Jonathan Cote said he’d like council to ask staff to review the Thrifty Foods closure in Sapperton and report back to council on how it could participate in the process. Although it’s not something normally within city council’s jurisdiction, he said the community has rallied together since hearing that Thrifty Foods must close its Sapperton store.
“It came as a great surprise,” said Coun. Betty McIntosh. “It was in the Twitter world that this federal Competition Bureau decided Sobeys has to get rid of 23 stores.”
McIntosh pointed out that the City of New Westminster is trying to plan a walkable community, which includes nodes where it makes sense to have services. She’s been told that if the Sapperton store gets sold, the space would continue to be used as a grocery store.
“That’s not the point,” she said. “They have embraced the community, and the community has embraced them.”
McIntosh said the manager and staff at Thrifty Foods have supported many community efforts, such as the grocery shopping for seniors programs and neighbourhood cleaning efforts.
“It’s very difficult for the employees,” she said. “They have over 100 employees at that site.”
McIntosh, a Sapperton resident, said the community has also benefited by having a grocery store that’s open 24 hours a day, especially one so close to Royal Columbian Hospital, where staff work shifts.
“It is definitely the type of community grocery store we need,” she said.
Coun. Lorrie Williams said the city needs variety in terms of its grocery shopping offerings. She also commended Thrifty Foods Sapperton for its community endeavours.
“They just step right up, no matter what,” she said. “They are a very, very good community sponsor. It would be a real pity to see them go.”
Coun. Bill Harper believes the city is perfectly within its right to advocate on the issue, noting the city took a position to oppose the closure of St. Mary’s Hospital several years ago.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the perception of competition among grocery stores may be different in Ottawa than it is in New Westminster. He noted that people with specialized dietary needs have a diversity of choices by having different grocery stores in the city.
“Thrifty’s is a big part of that,” he said. “I don’t think we want to lose that.”
Mayor Wayne Wright said the Sapperton Green and Brewery District developments will see Sapperton’s population grow in the coming years, so there will be a need for a grocery store in Sapperton.
Wright suggested that the city write a letter to the Competition Bureau to express concerns about the requirement for Sobeys to sell the Sapperton store, and to make arrangement for Williams to meet with the Competition Bureau while she’s in Ottawa later this month doing Federation of Canadian Municipalities business.
New Westminster residents have voiced concerns about the closure of Thrifty Foods at the Brewery District and started an online petition. Within days, the petition had been signed by more than 1,000 people.
