Beer Store to close Atikokan location

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Atikokan's Beer Store is closing its doors.

The closure was 1 of 10 announced by the Beer Store connected Monday, and the lone 1 successful northwestern Ontario. The closure volition instrumentality effect connected Aug. 24.

"They gave america nary reason," Atikokan Mayor Rob Ferguson said Monday ."There's nary connection from the Beer Store connected the closure."

Ferguson said the store employs 3 people — 2 full-time and 1 part-time — and has been operating successful the municipality for decades.

And portion Atikokan does person a smaller LCBO and a country store that sells alcoholic beverages, Fergusons said he's acrophobic they won't beryllium capable to conscionable demand.

"I don't cognize if the state has a program going forward, however to woody with the deliveries to resorts, stores, restaurants, things similar that," helium said. "I'm hoping that the the state does person a program with the LCBO to expand, due to the fact that it's going to beryllium an contented connected the deliveries."

The next-closest Beer Store is 140 km away, helium said.

"We don't privation to suffer jobs successful town," helium said. "We don't privation to suffer the convenience. And it is somewhat of a drafting paper for the municipality of Atikokan."

"We person a batch of tourists, batch of campers, resorts and we've got a batch going connected successful Atikokan," Ferguson said. "Atikokan is picking up and there's going to beryllium an accrued demand."

"I'm really moving astatine changing this determination and truly disappointed successful this decision. There's nary consultation with the municipality connected this, and we're going to bash everything we tin to to effort to support the Beer Store open."

Ferguson said he's contacted MPP Kevin Holland, and plans to interaction the Beer Store for much information, arsenic well.

CBC News besides contacted the Beer Store, but did not person a reply connected Monday.

""Closing a retail store is ne'er an casual determination - our stores and employees lend to communities successful galore ways and supply casual entree to bare returns passim Ontario," Ozzie Ahmed, the Beer Store's vice-president of retail, said successful a media release. "We are modernizing operations and focusing connected what we bash best, selling crystal acold beer, large lawsuit work and a satellite starring recycling strategy that gets customers their deposit wealth back."

"The Beer Store recognizes the contributions our employees marque to the business. All efforts volition beryllium made to enactment employees done this process successful alignment with commitments and agreements."

The store has announced the closure of 44 stores closing since April.