Seniors upset over Walmart relocation

The news that the Lincoln Fields Walmart is closing this month and moving to Bayshore Shopping Centre has hit area residents hard, particularly seniors who rely on the chain’s low prices.

The store is slated to close on Jan. 27 and open at Bayshore the following day. The new location is expected to be a Walmart “supercentre” with more floor space and departments, including a complete grocery section, whereas the Lincoln Heights location had a small food section with non-refrigerated items.

Jill Ivers, 74, has been living in the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood for 17 years and is upset to see Walmart go.

“I’m a senior and I’m not rich,” said Ivers, sitting on a bench outside the store. “I live in a low-income building in Ottawa housing and I shop here quite a lot and I depend on that.”

Gordon Culkin, 85, a neighbour of Ivers, does most of his shopping at the Lincoln Fields Walmart and says he won’t be making the drive to Bayshore because it is a “hard place to park”.

“I think it’s bad because people are used to the store and there are a lot of apartments around here and condos, and a lot of senior citizens,” said Culkin. “It’s convenient for a multitude of people. I don’t understand why they are moving.”

RioCan, the real estate company that owns and leases the property was not immediately available to say which retailer — if any — will be taking over Walmart’s lease.

Bayshore general manager Denis Pelletier said the new store will open in a 130,000-square-foot location on the third floor once meant for Target. Walmart will have a pharmacy and sell groceries, two elements Bayshore needs, he added.

“Groceries is something we’ve heard about in virtually every survey we’ve done as something that we lacked.”

Bayshore hasn’t had a pharmacy since Zeller’s closed and Shopper Drugmart moved to Carling Avenue.

“Walmart is filling both those roles. And Walmart’s a pretty good retailer,” Pelletier said.

He acknowledged that Bayshore has had a shortage of parking since it began renovations 3 ½ years ago. By the end of the year, when the west parking deck is finished, the mall will have 4,000 parking spaces.

Just as employees were clearing shelves at the Lincoln Heights location, CNN Money reported Walmart will close 269 stores — more than half of which are in the U.S. — in 2016 as the retailer tries to revitalize its slumping finances.