Seniors troubled by downtown Giant Tiger’s closing

By John R. Moodie

Ken Bough, 88, prides himself on being self-reliant, walking every day to maintain his vitality.

The senior worries the closing of Belleville’s downtown Giant Tiger will mean a loss of independence for him. He said he will now have to rely on his son to drive him to buy groceries.

“I don’t know what I’ll do. My son will take me to one of the major shopping stores, but it is not convenient if you happen to run out of bread, milk or sugar that you need today,” said Bough, who lives at the Quinte Living Centre.

He said if his son couldn’t drive, he would have to take the bus.

Access to affordable groceries is a serious issue, he added.

“I hope the city can help us.”

Belleville’s downtown Giant Tiger closed its doors Sept. 27, leaving local residents without a place to buy groceries.

There is a number of highrises downtown, mostly occupied by elderly residents. Bob Marcotte, president of the seniors’ in action committee at the Quinte Living Centre, said many citizens will be affected.

“Giant Tiger has been a staple for the people here. Some of them go down every day to pick up little odds and ends,” said Marcotte.

Walking to the Giant Tiger was a social event for many of the residents, he said.

“I know several women here that went every day. They would go down together just to get out and get a little exercise.”

Marlene Chartrand, 75, of McNabb Towers, said they would walk to the Giant Tiger two to three times a week.

“We are really going to miss it. I hope they put something downtown for us, because we don’t have any place at all to shop now,” said Chartrand.

Marcotte said many of the residents at the Quinte Living Centre relied on Giant Tiger to shop because most people do not have cars or they no longer drive.

Giant Tiger was accessible for elderly residents living in the highrises on Front Street because it was a short distance without any intersections to cross, he said.

In contrast, the closest grocery store is twice as far and has several busy intersections.

“I couldn’t walk to the Metro because of the hill. I couldn’t walk that far anyway, but I could walk to the Giant Tiger,” said Marcotte, who uses a walker.

Marcotte said many able-bodied people take for granted the challenges an elderly person with mobility issues may face walking what some would think is close.

“What may be considered a short distance can be a significant increase for someone with mobility issues,” said Marcotte. “It’s a big difference.”

Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis said there are challenges in attracting a grocery store downtown.

“Grocery stores have changed over the past 30 to 40 years. They have gone from smaller footprints to larger stores with larger parking lots,” said Ellis.

The mayor noted downtown Belleville’s narrow streets make it difficult to expand parking to accommodate a larger grocery store.

“When you look at Belleville in general, there are not enough resources to fix all the things that have been let down in the past 20 years,” said Ellis.

Despite the challenges, Ellis remains optimistic.

“Hopefully somebody is going to step in. I know there have been some people who have looked at the building,” said Ellis.

Smaller grocery stores have been making a comeback in urban centres, he said.

“We have to look towards a more independent grocery store – a family run type of grocery store.”

Marcotte, who worked as a retailer, said a chain store’s management would have difficulty understanding downtown Belleville’s market.

“There is a big market downtown. It is a difficult market. You need someone with real strength and management skills that knows the customers,” said Marcotte.

“It is a specific market. There are a lot of people down here.”

“A lot of it is low income, on pensions and welfare, and they don’t have the money to go to the Metro. Where are people going to get their food now, the food bank?

“People still have to eat, you know.”