2023-09-02 18:49:34
DURHAM-SOUTH. The days are numbered for the Durham-South BMR. Agiska Cooperative will close the branch on October 27. An announcement that is far from unanimous within the municipality of just over 1000 inhabitants.
On the way from L’Expressthe store was already liquidating its inventory.
“Fortunately I am seated, because I am rather stunned by the news. We didn’t see it coming at all,” said the mayor of Durham-Sud, Sylvie Laval, openly, in an interview with L’Express.
For one of the citizens of the place, Johanne Dion, it is a departure that cannot be explained. “A co-op belongs to the people. So what that tells us is that even if I’m part of my coop and it belongs to the members, we can close the same,” says the lady, whose spouse has been a member of the coop for regarding 25 years. .
Moreover, he was not even consulted by anyone in the decisions to put an end to the activities of the branch. At least, that’s what the one who is a social worker in everyday life reports.
The latter also adds that the citizens are well aware of the events. “People here are trying to mobilize and do something.”
Despite this attempt at solidarity between Durhamiens and Durhamiennes, this initiative will not reverse the steam.
“A membership meeting will be scheduled for Tuesday evening. They want to be able to answer questions, but the decision will not change,” laments the mayor.
Reasons for leaving
The one who is at the helm of the Municipality mentioned some reasons for the decision of Agiska Cooperation to go ahead with the closure of the hardware store.
“It’s a consolidating market and it’s getting harder and harder to deal with big box stores and be profitable. There is also the difficulty of finding labour. This is another challenge. Lately, we even closed on Saturdays because they mightn’t get employees. So that’s the dynamic and that’s what we were told,” she explains.
According to Johanne Dion, a coop should meet socio-economic and non-economic needs. She also feels that the decision to close the branch goes once morest the vision and core values of a co-op and its members.
In addition to Durham-Sud, two other stores will close their doors in a few weeks: those of Saint-Ours and Saint-Nazaire.
A closure that worries for the future
The loss of a hardware store like BMR can hurt a small community and its vitality very badly. This is what worries Ms. Dion.
“The problem is that it’s like the beginning of the end for small places. We like having our hardware store in our village with a grocery store. It is the vitality of a village that is dying”, explains the citizen, disappointed with the turn of events.
Words that go in the same direction for Ms. Laval. “Yes it worried me because I tell myself that we cannot let that go down. We can’t lose the rest. So we have to mobilize. I also think that maybe it’s the little kick in the behind that we needed to wake up together. There may be an awareness of the risk that we have of devitalizing ”, expresses the one who has been in office for two years.
As for the vacant building that will replace the departure of the coop, Sylvie Laval already has her own idea.
“Our position is clear, we would like it to remain commercial and to be sold for another local business. Ideally, we would replace it with a hardware store, but it’s clear that it won’t happen because they want to attract people to Acton”, says the lady regarding a meeting with the director of the retail division of the establishment.
Regarding the closure, there will be no job loss since all employees will be directed to other BMR establishments.
The population of Durham South will now have to head to Acton Vale, Wickham or Richmond if they wish to go to a BMR.
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