A group petitioning for a grocery store to return to the Porcupine Mall is looking to council for help.
A delegation at tonight's Timmins council meeting asks for council's help reaching out to Metro, which owns the mall. The group wants to know what's being proposed at the mall, and options to secure a grocery store.
"It has now been over a year since the closure of this essential full-service grocery store with no movement or anything done by Metro who is the owner of the mall," reads a letter from Susan Gauthier, on behalf of the petition committee.
"This has prompted a dedicated group to organize an online and paper signature petition receiving over 3,200 signatures. This shows the support and loyalty of our community and we deserve a response from Metro on their intentions."
Since Metro closed in 2019, there has been speculation in the community about what could go in to replace what was the only chain grocery store in the east end of Timmins. The company confirmed in late 2019, it didn't have plans to open a Food Basics in the space.
Since it shuttered, Giant Tiger has stocked more groceries. Nearby, the Urban Farm in South Porcupine offers a variety of locally-grown food.
At the time of the closure, Metro also arranged for a free shuttle to the Timmins location of the grocery store. In the five weeks it was offered, no one used the service.
"With a decline in shoppers coming to the Porcupine Mall this only hurts the other businesses at the mall and with school season commencing, it will be more frustrating grocery shopping and the expenses keep getting higher, which may cause many to cut back on school food items," reads the delegation.
Council meets tonight at 6 p.m. The full delegation is available here.
