Winnipeg | Downtown Developments & Discussions

[Wpg_Guy]

Downtown Winnipeg's only grocery store to close in November



A spokeswoman for Giant Tiger confirms that their downtown Winnipeg store will close this year. The grocery store is the only department store offering fresh food in the neighborhood.

The Giant Tiger store at 345 Donald St. in Winnipeg will close on Nov. 7, 2026, a company spokesperson said in an email to CBC/Radio-Canada.

The decision to close one of our stores is not taken lightly; it is the result of careful consideration and analysis. Our priority is to provide support to our staff and customers, and we are working closely with the employees concerned," explains the spokesperson.

The spokesman did not however indicate the reasons for this closure.

The company closed two of its Winnipeg stores in the summer of 2024.

A succession of closures
The closure comes less than a month after the announcement of a new grocery store in downtown Winnipeg. This Co-op store is expected to open in 2029, on the site of the new Place Portage. The full-line grocery store will help fill the food desert that exists in downtown Manitoba's capital.

Natalie Riediger, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition at the University of Manitoba, says the closure is a significant loss to the neighbourhood.

This is undoubtedly very unfortunate for the neighborhood. It makes it harder for people to shop for groceries, she said in an interview Thursday.

She fears that another supermarket will not replace the one that is leaving, since the merchants do not want to set up in such low-income places.

It is difficult for supermarkets, such as Giant Tiger or convenience stores, to survive when the poverty rate is so high in the region, because they are unable to generate the revenue needed to sustain their business.

Local merchants have raised concerns about the neighbourhood's security needs.

Munther Zeid, owner of the Winnipeg-based grocery chain Food Fare, says the big supermarket chains don't see the business value in setting up shop in downtown Winnipeg.

He said downtown stores face a serious problem of shoplifting and believes that any supermarket that sets up shop there would need security reinforcements or a police presence on site.

Several small stores and convenience stores have closed their doors in recent months, including two 7-ELEVEN stores. In the past, the company has said it loses hundreds of dollars a day to shoplifting.

CBC/Radio-Canada

[Kris22]

^what is that headline? The Family Foods on Donald is still open is it not? And that’s an actual grocery store.

[trueviking]

Work happening in the Peck Building. Cibinel sign on the fence so something more than interior demo.

[Jeff]

Fair trade with the Peck building being restored (if true) vs. the closing of Giant Tiger.

[trueviking]

Looks like they are just doing the minimum to keep it standing. I thought the “church” sold it.

[Wpg_Guy]

IG Wealth parent company selling off Winnipeg HQ, will move into leased Portage and Main space
IGM Financial, Manitoba's 2nd-largest publicly traded company, selling Portage and Colony tower
CBC News · Posted: Jul 30, 2026


IGM Financial, the parent company of IG Wealth Management and Mackenzie Asset Management, plans to sell off its downtown Winnipeg headquarters and move into leased space at Portage and Main. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

The second-largest publicly traded company in Manitoba is selling its downtown Winnipeg headquarters but will continue to be based in the city.

IGM Financial — the parent company of IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie Asset Management and four other wealth and asset management subsidiaries — announced Thursday it will place its 19-storey, 320,000-square-foot office tower at 477 Portage Ave., at the Colony Street intersection, up for sale in the coming months.

It will spend the next two years moving IG Wealth and Mackenzie employees into leased space at 360 Main St., the office tower at the southwest corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street.

Company signage will be placed on 300 Main St., the tower just to the south at Graham Avenue, the corporation said

The company is "making a deliberate investment in Winnipeg — our home for nearly 100 years," IGM Financial president and CEO Damon Murchison said in a press release issued Thursday.

The move to 360 Main "strengthens our presence in the downtown core, supports its ongoing revitalization, and allows us to provide our employees with a modern, state-of-the-art work environment," said Murchison.

Manages $176B in assets
IGM Financial, founded in 1926, is listed on the TSX and has a market capitalization of just over $20 billion. According to corporate literature, it manages $176 billion worth of assets for more than a million customers.

It's part of the Power Corporation group of companies, alongside Manitoba's largest publicly traded company, Greatwest Lifeco, which owns insurance provider Canada Life.

IGM moved into its purpose-built tower at 447 Portage in 1988, one year after the Portage Place mall opened as part of a downtown Winnipeg revitalization megaproject. The tower is connected to Portage Place by a skywalk over Vaughan Street.

Originally known as One Canada Centre, the tower cost nearly $38 million to build, according to the Winnipeg Architectural Foundation.

In a memo to employees on Thursday, Murchison said the company's "commitment to Winnipeg remains strong."

The new leased space will be more modern, and offer employees spaces for events and team meetings as well as a bookable conference centre, he said.

The transition from owning to leasing "aligns us with industry standards and allows us to focus our investments where they matter most," his memo said.

Move 'makes sense': Downtown BIZ
Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone, said it's logical for IGM Financial to move into more modern office space, as 360 Main St. has undergone a recent renovation.

"It actually makes sense that this [Portage Avenue building] isn't necessarily the fit for them any more. Given that they don't own properties throughout Canada, it makes business sense," Fenske said in an interview on Portage Avenue.

"What we're seeing really in downtown Winnipeg is a flight to Class A office space," she said, referring to the highest-quality office space available in the market.

Fenske said she does not believe the move is indicative of a malaise along Portage Avenue.

IGM Financial's headquarters has a city-assessed value of $55 million, according to city property records.

That's down from $67 million in 2019, before the pandemic made remote work more popular and led to a flight of office workers from downtown Winnipeg.

Fenske also said she does not believe the sale will have negative effects on two adjacent revitalization projects — True North Real Estate's redevelopment of Portage Place and the Southern Chiefs' Organization's conversion of the former Bay building into a mixed-use project called Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn.

True North Real Estate said in a statement it's confident the redevelopment of One Canada Centre will complement its own work and said downtown Winnipeg "is in the midst of a renaissance" that will come to fruition within three years.

The Southern Chiefs' Organization said in a statement the IGM Financial move doesn't diminish its project.

CBC News also sought comment from the Manitoba Métis Federation, which has purchased several significant downtown Winnipeg properties in recent years.


One Canada Centre has been the home of what's now IGM Financial since 1988. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

CBC News

• Video Link

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

CBC/Radio-Canada

the lease must be up and the landlords not renewing or somthing?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

the lease must be up and the landlords not renewing or somthing?

It think that is one of the few locations Giant Tiger corporate actually owns, it was the first GT to open in Winnipeg when The North West Company had the master franchise agreement to open stores across western Canada. NWC has since divested of (most) of the GT brand, selling the stores back to Giant Tiger Corporate in Ottawa and terminating the master franchise agreement.

The store is closing because of theft. Margins in discount retail are razor thin, and when shrink gets this high and security and theft deterrent costs keep rising, it becomes nearly impossible to stay profitable. It's really a sad reflection of what government and police policies have let society become.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Looks like they are just doing the minimum to keep it standing. I thought the “church” sold it.

Why won’t they just let it go?
That’s rhetorical — I know it’s part of the Church of Scientology’s real estate scheme.

This landmark deserves to be properly developed and carefully restored by a reputable ownership group that will actually care for it.

[Wpg_Guy]

Giant Tiger to close downtown, area residents bemoan dwindling grocery options
By: Nicole Buffie
Thursday, Jul. 30, 2026



One of the only remaining grocery-store options for people living downtown and in the Exchange District is closing its doors.

Red notices on the windows at Giant Tiger’s Donald Street and Ellice Avenue location advised passersby the store will close on Nov. 7.

Chain spokesperson Jessica Charbonneau said in an email the decision to shutter stores is “not taken lightly and is made with careful consideration and thorough analysis.”

The store was busy Thursday afternoon.

Picking up his twice-weekly grocery haul, shopper Glen Sims says he may need to move from the area.

“This is really the only place in the area to get groceries, and I don’t plan on buying a car,” he said.

Prices at Downtown Family Foods, several blocks south at Broadway and Donald Street, are significantly higher than Giant Tiger and he can’t stay within his monthly budget there, he said.

Kyle Mason, the executive director of food security advocacy organization Food Matters Manitoba, said the loss of the store means residents in the area who can’t travel to other parts of the city may have to resort to relying on food banks and community organizations.

“The core of Winnipeg is already struggling with access to good, healthy food. And so having one of the very few options removed, it just makes things that much more difficult,” Mason said.

Convenience stores scattered throughout the area sell food items that may not be affordable or of high nutritional quality, he said.

There are several ethnic grocers in the area, including Dino’s Grocery, Young’s Trading and Sun Wah Supermarket.

Sims said it’s likely rampant theft is behind the decision to close the Giant Tiger.

He said he frequently sees people stealing but doesn’t report the shoplifting to management because “I don’t want to be beat up on the way home,” he said.

Wendy Sutherland, another shopper, said she has witnessed theft in the store, both in person and online.

“You see videos of it all over social media, on Facebook,” she said. “People have no shame when they do it.”

The company shuttered its locations at 1441 Main St. and 305 McPhillips St. in 2024. The stores were in locations “challenging for our business model,” spokesperson Alison Scarlett said at the time, adding theft wasn’t the sole reason for the closures.

The Canadian discount retail chain has eight locations in Winnipeg.

Charbonneau did not respond to questions about the reason behind the downtown store’s planned closure.

That location is in city councillor Cindy Gilroy’s Daniel McIntyre ward. She said Winnipeg’s mental-health and addictions crisis is having a trickle-down effect on retailers.

A representative from Giant Tiger told her several months ago that theft had become a big issue.

“These are not big stores and they don’t always have access to the security that they may need,” Gilroy said. “And when it’s happening people don’t want to (shop there), so there’s the impact there, too.”

Winnipeg Police Service data for the year ending in March shows 106 reported shoplifting incidents on the downtown block that includes the Giant Tiger store, down from the total 170 the previous year.

Last month, Red River Co-Op announced plans to build a 22,500-square-foot store and pharmacy inside True North’s redevelopment of Portage Place mall, but that store isn’t expected to open until 2029.

The province’s grocery price study, released last month, said evidence suggests between nine and 15 per cent of Winnipeg residents live in neighbourhoods that experience characteristics consistent with food deserts.

Even in areas where grocery stores are present, affordability pressures limit lower-income households’ access to nutritious food, the report said.

Sims and Sutherland both said the downtown Giant Tiger is vital for them and their neighbours.

“This is a great location and it has everything you need,” Sims said.


RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS

Giant Tiger is closing its downtown location.

Winnipeg Free Press

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

CBC News
IG Wealth parent company selling off Winnipeg HQ, will move into leased Portage and Main space
IGM Financial, Manitoba's 2nd-largest publicly traded company, selling Portage and Colony tower
CBC News · Posted: Jul 30, 2026

Weird that the IG wealth Management corporate branding is going on 300 Main, an apartment tower and not 360 Main where their new offices will be located.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Weird that the IG wealth Management corporate branding is going on 300 Main, an apartment tower and not 360 Main where their new offices will be located.

I see the logic but, TD likely won't allow it to happen @ 360 Main.
They have some products that might compete perhaps and want nobody else's name on 360?
So, 300 Main is part of Winnipeg Square anyways.

[Wpg_Guy]

RFA Financial

We're excited to announce a 20-year lease agreement with IG Wealth Management (IG) at our 360 Main Street and 300 Main Street properties in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Totalling more than 120,000 square feet over two distinct leases, this landmark transaction secures an institutional-quality tenant and enhances the long-term strength and stability of RFA's office portfolio.

This agreement represents the largest private-sector relocation to an existing Class A downtown Winnipeg office building in recent history, underscoring the success of our asset management and leasing strategy.

Official press release of this announcement:

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

I see the logic but, TD likely won't allow it to happen @ 360 Main.
They have some products that might compete perhaps and want nobody else's name on 360?
So, 300 Main is part of Winnipeg Square anyways.

The press release says rooftop branding signage will be on both 300 and 360 Main.

[TRSTN]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

I hope there’s a new plan for the building, and ideally a new restaurant opens in the space soon.

I heard it's been leased by Greta. An arcade restaurant/bar chain out of Alberta. https://gretabar.com https://www.instagram.com/gretabarywg/

That's why The Keg was pushed out months before the new location is ready. They likely would have been on a month to month lease for now but Greta took over.

I've heard a lot of good things about Greta so I'm looking forward to it. I imagine it'll do well there.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

It think that is one of the few locations Giant Tiger corporate actually owns, it was the first GT to open in Winnipeg when The North West Company had the master franchise agreement to open stores across western Canada. NWC has since divested of (most) of the GT brand, selling the stores back to Giant Tiger Corporate in Ottawa and terminating the master franchise agreement.

The store is closing because of theft. Margins in discount retail are razor thin, and when shrink gets this high and security and theft deterrent costs keep rising, it becomes nearly impossible to stay profitable. It's really a sad reflection of what government and police policies have let society become.

northern got into some leagal trouble for own GT franchises a few years back or something and was court orderd to sell off their stores

[Mr Tall Forehead]

Originally Posted by TRSTN

I heard it's been leased by Greta. An arcade restaurant/bar chain out of Alberta. https://gretabar.com https://www.instagram.com/gretabarywg/

That's why The Keg was pushed out months before the new location is ready. They likely would have been on a month to month lease for now but Greta took over.

I've heard a lot of good things about Greta so I'm looking forward to it. I imagine it'll do well there.

Interesting…so kind of like a Rec Room or Dave and Busters for adults?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by TRSTN

I heard it's been leased by Greta. An arcade restaurant/bar chain out of Alberta. https://gretabar.com https://www.instagram.com/gretabarywg/

That's why The Keg was pushed out months before the new location is ready. They likely would have been on a month to month lease for now but Greta took over.

I've heard a lot of good things about Greta so I'm looking forward to it. I imagine it'll do well there.

Thanks for the info, you're correct, in the link you shared they have Winnipeg listed at 115 Garry Street.

NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
115 Garry Street has been making history since 1911. The Hudson’s Bay Company garage. The Keg. Now GRETA — arcade games, craft cocktails, and globally inspired street food in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Looks like they are just doing the minimum to keep it standing. I thought the “church” sold it.

in otherwards it will now be a sterile building like the masonic temlep with its soul ripped out

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

It's really a sad reflection of what government and police policies have let society become.

Government policies have certainly had their effect, especially with regards to their mid-90's abandonment of funding social housing and their refusal to commit to First nations treaty obligations. From what I understand police policies are a combination of governmental oversight and police procedures, but I could be wrong. As such, they both have their roles in turning the situation around.

I think we have to be aware, however, that governments and the police are both forced to operate in political and economic systems that operate primarily on promoting fear and despair. Governments constantly tell us who or what we need to be afraid of, whether it be "those liberals" or "those conservatives". The majority of the economy is based on making people unsatisfied with themselves. You're still wearing last year's shoes? Teeth not blindingly white? Still driving a two-year old car? Shame! Tragedy! Go out and spend spend spend, people; only THAT will make you happy.