Choosing local may get more challenging for Alberta shoppers, after Sunterra Market filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. Read More
Locally owned and operated, Sunterra Farms Ltd. is facing legal and financial troubles
Locally owned and operated, Sunterra Farms Ltd. is facing legal and financial troubles
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Choosing local may get more challenging for Alberta shoppers, after Sunterra Market filed for bankruptcy protection in late March.
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Sunterra Farms Ltd.’s operations include seven Sunterra Market locations in Calgary, along with two in Edmonton and one in Red Deer.
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The company also operates an agriculture business, which includes production facilities throughout North America, and has livestock operations focused on pork processing.
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Several people shuffled in and out of the market’s Britannia location Thursday morning.
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Noon News Roundup
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One woman, her arms full of fresh bagels and bread, raced toward her car as another made her way out with two bags of her own.
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“I hope they don’t close,” said Lucelta, who declined to give her last name.
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“The way they prepare (stuff), it’s really handy . . . and it’s always looking fresh,” she said.
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Jarvis Clemens, who lives nearby, has been shopping at the Britannia location for a decade.
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“Things are a little bit more expensive but you get what you pay for, right? It’s got a lot of quality stuff, a lot of stuff you can’t find,” he said.
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However, in recent years Clemens has observed some changes at the store.
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“I noticed they’re not carrying a lot of the stuff that they used to,” Clemens said. “I went to get some lemons . . . and they didn’t have lemons.”
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The possible loss of the local store, which Clemens called a “lifeline,” would leave the area without many options nearby.
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“I’d definitely rather shop at a local place,” he said. “I’ve never had a bad experience here.”
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Staff ‘without a doubt, friendly, helpful’
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A staff member at the Britannia store declined to comment on the situation. A spokesperson for the company also declined to comment, citing lawsuits.
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Marc D’Hont has gone to the Britannia store for decades, even when there was a Jenkins’ grocery store at the location.
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“I’m sad to see it go, if it does . . . I hope they work something out,” said D’Hont, adding that the selection is good but a “little pricey.”
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By close to 12 p.m. around a dozen customers were lined up at the location’s two open checkouts.
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On her way into the Britannia store with a friend, Nancy Thompson called Sunterra Market an “institution.”
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“I think it’s terrible,” Thompson said of a potential closure, noting she appreciates Sunterra’s support for local farmers.
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“The staff are, without a doubt, friendly, helpful,” she said.
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Notice shows liabilities to over 200 creditors
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Outside the Keynote Sunterra Market in the Beltline, Bryan Kent had gone in to look for takeout for lunch, to no avail.