Monday March 31st
®
315 Arthur St. S. Elmira | 519-669-4640
03 | 29 | 2014 VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 13
SHARING HIS PASSION FOR READING LIVING HERE PAGE 24
COMMENT PAGE 10
WITH SPRING IN THE OFFING, THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO FOOD
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
One last salute The Elmira Sugar Kings bade farewell to their fans on Sunday after losing to the Waterloo Siskins in the second round of playoffs. The Kings battled the Siskins to seven games in the semi-finals, falling 3-1 in the last match.
[WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
Competition Bureau orders sale of No Frills store As part of deal for Loblaws to purchase Shoppers Drug Mart, Elmira is one of two Ontario locations that has to go WILL SLOAN Elmira’s No Frills store is on the chopping block. The chain’s 232 Arthur St. S. location is one of three No Frills stores in Canada that Loblaws Companies Ltd. will be divesting after its acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation at the end of the month. The $12.4 billion purchase, approved by the fed-
eral Competition Bureau, will lead to the closure of either Shoppers or No Frills outlets in communities that have both. Fourteen Shoppers locations will be sold across Canada, but only three No Frills. “We’re expecting the divestment process will take several months,” said Kevin Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs and communication for Loblaws. “We’ll begin the process of
finding a purchaser once the deal is closed, which we expect will be March 28. But the process we expect to take several months." Paul and Adele Henderson, owners of the Elmira No Frills store, declined to comment. In response to the impending loss of the store, Woolwich council will send a letter to the Competition Bureau asking the agency to reverse its decision. The
letter will focus on the already-limited number of grocery markets in the township, the unique travel limitations on those using horse-drawn buggies as transportation, and the potential economic impacts. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union estimates that the decision will affect more than 120 unionized No
SWIMMING POOLS PATIOS • DRIVEWAYS STAIRCASES • GARDENS CELL:
519-897-7707 | CELL: 519-505-0073 | EMAIL: bcrec@live.ca
NO FRILLS | 9
Business will continue at the 232 Arthur St. location until a buyer is found. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]