Newmarket Residents Fight to Save Local Walmart
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A petition is underway to stop the closure of a Davis Drive location, citing accessibility concerns for seniors and transit users.
Residents in Newmarket, Ontario, are attempting to block the closure of a community Walmart store scheduled for January, according to reporting from BlogTO.
Coun. Jane Twinney for Ward 3 announced via social media that Walmart's head office confirmed the closure of the location at 1111 Davis Dr., Unit 32, situated in the 404 Town Centre Plaza. While another Walmart exists approximately a 13-minute drive away off Yonge Street, Twinney noted that the Davis Drive store has served as a convenient neighborhood hub for many years.
Twinney has launched a petition that has collected nearly 500 signatures. The petition argues that the closure disproportionately affects seniors and residents with mobility challenges who cannot easily travel across town. It further highlights the store's accessibility via public transit, specifically the Viva service along Davis Drive and York Region Transit.
Regarding the workforce, Twinney stated that employees at the affected location have been offered transfers to other Walmart stores in Aurora or Newmarket.
The move to shut down the smaller location occurs as Walmart is executing a multi-billion-dollar expansion across Canada, with new stores planned for London, Kingston, Ottawa, Lindsay, Hamilton, and Brampton, BlogTO reports.