North End thrift store closing due to theft, rising costs
D’arcy’s ARC Thrift Store has been a Main Street mainstay for the past 16 years, but the writing is on the wall – the second-hand store is shutting its doors in December.
The shop, located in a strip mall between Alfred and Aberdeen Avenues, sells everything from clothing and housewares to pet supplies and board games.
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters
Proceeds from the thrift store help cover animal-related costs and other expenses at D’arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre (ARC), a non-profit animal shelter on Century Street.
A sign posted in the store’s window attributes the closure to “rising costs, increased retail theft, and concerns for staff and customers.”
“It’s not uncommon now to have knives and syringes pulled on [staff] on a weekly basis,” owner D’arcy Johnston told CTV News. “There’s been an assault there and it’s getting to the point where, you know, it’s over $2 shirts. I just don’t know what else I can do to make things better there.”
Johnston said he opted to not renew the lease due to a myriad of issues and the last day of operation is slated for December 21.
Johnston opened the thrift store in 2008 following the success of yard sales held at the shelter. He said the fundraisers were quite successful.
“I thought to myself, ‘How could we do this on a permanent basis?’’ Johnston recalled. “So we opened up.. and it took off like crazy.”
Items sold at the thrift store are donated by the public and priced to remain affordable. Johnston said the closure will leave a gap in the area for people looking for cheap, gently-used products.
“It’s tough to see, and I think it’s going to have a big impact on that community,” Johnston said. “I’ve been there for 30 years and I know the neighbourhood and I know a lot of people that shop at the store.”
Johnston said D’Arcy’s ARC doesn’t receive any government funding, so the thrift store’s shutdown could also impact the animal shelter’s bottom line.
“It’s a significant amount of money that comes back to the charity,” he explained. “I have to think of ways where I’m going find X amount of dollars to come back for the 2025 budget.”
Johnston noted the organization operates another second-hand store called Annie’s Attic Thrift Shop and Cat Café further down Main Street. He said there are no plans to shut down that location.
Anyone interested in donating clothing or other items can drop them off at Annie’s Attic (1560 Main Street).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live election results: Trump and Harris score early wins as vote-counting picks up in battleground states
AP has declared a Kamala Harris victory in New York, as well as Donald Trump victories in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Louisiana.
Trump and Harris rack up early wins as America awaits battleground results
Former U.S. president Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris notched early wins in reliably Republican and Democratic states, respectively, as a divided America made its decision in a stark choice for the nation's future Tuesday.
Who's going to win? The election prediction roundup
Outlets across the United States have been crunching numbers, parsing polls and working their magic models to predict the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election.
How exit polls work and what they will tell us on election night
Exit polls are a set of surveys that ask voters whom they voted for, as well as additional questions about their political opinions, the factors they considered in the election and their own backgrounds more broadly.
These swing states will likely decide the U.S. presidential election
These swing states will most likely determine the path to the presidency, with candidates needing to win some combination of votes to get them across the 270 mark to secure a majority.
Hoax bomb threats linked to Russia target polling places in U.S. battleground states, FBI says
Hoax bomb threats, many of which appeared to originate from Russian email domains, were directed on Tuesday at polling locations in four battleground states - Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin - as U.S. election day voting was underway, the FBI said.
Tropical Storm Rafael strengthens to Category 1 hurricane as it barrels toward Cuba
Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday as it swirled past Jamaica and chugged toward western Cuba.
Suspect seen shooting man during Toronto-area home invasion in new video
Police have released video footage that appears to show a suspect shooting a man who had attempted to intervene in a home invasion in York Region on Monday night.
Canada 'deeply concerned' after alleged Russian sabotage plot
The Canadian government says it has raised concerns directly with Russian officials after media reports this week revealed an alleged Russian sabotage operation. The alleged plot included plans to send parcels packed with incendiary devices aboard aircraft destined for Canada and the United States.