“It’s been something the community’s been asking for for a while, so it’s good news.”
— Juanita Polegi, executive director of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce
Rumours that Save On Foods is coming to Yorkton are no longer rumours.
On July 9, at a press conference in Regina, Darrell Jones, president of the Langley BC-based company, announced a major expansion of up to 40 stores in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The first four will be in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Yorkton and are projected to open in 2016.
The Yorkton store will be built in the location previously occupied by Sobey’s at the Parkland Mall. Jones said the company plans to demolish the existing structure and build new. The main entrance of the new store will face out towards Broadway Street.
Jones told Yorkton This Week he expects the location to be open by next fall.
It will be approximately 32,000 square feet—about the same as the former Sobey’s—and a size Jones characterized as a “nice, comfortable grocery store.”
Save On Foods is part of a trend in the Canadian grocery industry of upscale food retailing.
“We’re going to have a great bakery and a fantastic deli,” Jones said, adding the store will also sell gourmet pizza and have a fresh sandwich bar.
Juanita Polegi, executive director of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce said the Chamber welcomes the company.
“It’s been something the community’s been asking for for a while, so it’s good news,” she said.
Acting mayor Chris Wyatt also welcomed the announcement.
“I think it’s excellent,” he said. “Any time you have competition it’s great for consumers. We’re excited they’re coming.”
Jones said the store will bring up to 120 jobs to the area, most of which he hopes to fill locally.
“We’re very excited to be part of the Yorkton community,” he said. “We will do our very best to hire as many local people as possible.
