‘People count on this place’: Pembina Hwy. Giant Tiger latest location slated to close

Another Giant Tiger store in Winnipeg will shutter next year, leaving some area residents concerned about a lack of affordable groceries in the neighbourhood.

Red papers taped to the front doors of the Canadian retail chain’s location at Pembina Highway and Southpark Drive indicate it will close Feb. 27.

Doreen Yanchuk, a self-described bargain hunter, shook her head when she saw the signs Monday. The 67-year-old said she’s a regular customer at the location because it’s a five-minute drive from her home.

“They have very good sales here, which draws people to the shop because everything is expensive,” Yanchuk said.

While there’s a Safeway grocery store in the neighbouring strip mall, Yanchuk said she avoids shopping there as she finds the prices higher.

Giant Tiger didn’t respond to a request for comment Monday.

The Pembina location joins a growing list of closed Giant Tiger stores in the city. The downtown location, at the corner of Donald Street and Ellice Avenue, will shut down on Nov. 7. The location was one of the only grocery stores in the area.

The discount chain also closed shops on Main Street and McPhillips Street in 2024. The stores were in locations “challenging for our business model,” a company spokesperson said at the time.

Eight Giant Tiger locations remain open in Winnipeg.

Back at the Pembina Highway store, Waverley resident Curtis Sinclair arrived with his two brothers for a regular shop.

He said he shops there almost daily for four adults and three children, walking 20 minutes or taking a taxi to the store because he doesn’t own a vehicle. The 60-year-old said he’s worried the closure will strain his $300-a-month grocery budget, saying he can’t afford the higher prices at other grocery chains.

“This store closing down is going to really impact low-income families because there’s a lot of people who come here every day and it’s constantly busy,” Sinclair said. “People count on this place.”

Seniors on fixed incomes will also likely struggle switching to other nearby grocery stores, he said.

Kyle Mason, executive director for food security advocacy organization Food Matters Manitoba, said the loss of the store compounds the stresses under-resourced people face when finding affordable, nutritious food.

“It just makes it that much more difficult because shoppers now will have to go to other places that maybe cost more, and it just makes it harder to make ends meet, which is a shame,” he said Monday.

Some families may have to make difficult choices, such as opting to buy more processed food rather than fresh food to keep bills lower, Mason said.

Shopper Carmelle Meilleur said she expects she’ll drive to shop at one of the remaining Giant Tigers once the Pembina location closes. The store’s closure will hurt the community, the 69-year-old said.

“There’s a lot of people in the community that can’t buy the same things I can afford. I do feel for them,” she said.

matthew.frank@winnipegfreepress.com