4 Winnipeg 7-Eleven stores permanently closing amid theft concerns
After concerns were raised in the summer, it appears some 7-Eleven stores in Winnipeg may be shutting down because of crime.
It appears stores at 815 Ellice Ave., 665 McPhillips St., 1007 McPhillips St., and 1103 Pembina Highway are getting ready to close down.
Staff from the locations confirmed the closures. CTV News was also told the Ellice and two McPhillips stores are shuttering because of theft. The reasons behind the Pembina store are unclear.
At some of the stores, there are signs that read “permanently closed” on them. At all four, store shelves are empty or the shelves themselves have already been pulled down.
CTV reached out to 7-Eleven for comment but did not hear back.
This comes after two city councillors, Ross Eadie and Vivan Santos, said 7-Eleven officials told them in the summer that 10 stores were at risk of closing due to financial losses spurred by crime.
Two of the four stores are from that list of 10.
"7-Eleven is basically saying we can't afford to lose this much money," said Eadie.
Eadie called this a big loss for the impacted communities.
"It's one thing to say (buy a) Slurpee, but a lot of people buy milk and eggs when they go, and bread when they're going to a 7-Eleven right. It's a certain time of night, where else are you going to go?"
The province has been paying the overtime costs for Winnipeg police to target retail theft hot spots. That program runs until the end of the month. The premier has left the door open for the initiative to continue.
"We'll make that decision together about what the best next step is, but yeah, we're actively looking at it," said Premier Wab Kinew Friday.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said the program is working.
"This retail crime initiative is making a difference,” said Gillingham Friday. “I'd like to see it extended and we're talking to the province about how we can do that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES Tracking Hurricane Milton: Millions told to evacuate from 'worst storm in 100 years to hit Florida’
U.S. forecasters are warning of destructive waves, devastating winds and flash floods through the week as Hurricane Milton makes its way from the Yucatan Peninsula toward Florida.
Meteorologist becomes emotional giving update on Hurricane Milton
A seasoned American meteorologist became emotional on air as he gave an update on a major hurricane, later suggesting the reason behind his strong reaction.
One American physician's long journey to becoming a family doctor in Canada
An American family doctor is frustrated with what she says has been a challenging two-year-and-counting bureaucratic journey to be accepted into Canada.
'Extremely disappointed': Family of homicide victim storms out of courtroom as judge reads decision
Emotions boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died.
TikTok sued by 14 U.S. states over alleged harm to children’s mental health
A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health.
Is it safe to buy from Temu and Shein? Here's what Canada says it's doing to try to protect consumers
As U.S. regulators push for an investigation into what they call 'deadly baby and toddler products' from foreign e-commerce sites, health officials in Canada say they haven't determined whether any laws or regulations have been broken.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Pierre Poilievre's dramatic side could become his undoing
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that the dramatic side to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and his tendency to 'play everything to the hilt,' could well become his undoing.
Baby Boomers are living longer than previous generations but have worse health, study finds
Baby Boomers may be expected to live longer than their predecessors, but a recent study has found that they are more likely to suffer from worse health than previous generations.
Chris Pine is now a children's book author
The "Star Trek" star, Chris Pine, has a new children's book out, titled "When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail."