City Center SAQ Closures Should Cease, Assert Mayors (Alternatively: Mayors Urge Halting of City Center SAQ Closures)
Fiery debate in Quebec over SAQ store closures in downtown areas
Amidst a hot-headed tussle, municipal officials in Quebec are putting their foot down, urging Finance Minister Eric Girard to scrap the proposed closure of SAQ stores in city centers.
The minister, with the SAQ under his belt, hit a roadblock on Thursday during a powwow with mayors, who took umbrage at the corporation's obstinate refusal to backtrack.
In a pithy statement to The Canadian Press, the mayors of Quebec, Baie-D'Urfé, Stanstead, Saguenay, and Victoriaville, Fired Up Bruno Marchand, Jody Stone, and Heidi Ektvedt, have made it clear they want Girard to intervene.
"The tab is going to land squarely on the state's shoulder because these closures are more costly than productive," they argue, pushing for a territorial responsibility policy for the SAQ.
Nathalie Prud'homme, the head honcho of the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (OUQ), agrees with the mayors, asserting that the SAQ's moves will lead to the "life draining" of downtown areas.
Back in March, a gaggle of mayors and mighty mayors cried for a halt on the shuttering of eight stores, among them Julie Dufour of Saguenay and Antoine Tardif of Victoriaville.
But last week, during a parliamentary huddle, the boss man of the SAQ, Jacques Farcy, defended the decision to close certain stores in city centers for the sake of profitability.
However, the mayor of Baie-D'Urfé, Heidi Ektvedt, isn't swayed by Farcy's explanation—“Not even close, it doesn't reflect my reality, the parking lot is always full,” she declared in a bite-size interview with The Canadian Press.
“I just don't get it,” she persisted, pointing out that several fellow municipal officials share her point of view.
Doubling down, she demanded that the SAQ lays out its books on the targeted stores to reveal its decision-making process, a request Farcy flatly denied last week.
"There's not much transparency," the mayor snarked.
The anticipated closure of the SAQ store in her municipality, slated for the tail end of August, could spell disaster for neighboring businesses, she predicts.
"This runs counter to the trend" of fostering denser cities, Mayor Ektvedt lamented.
Citizens will flock to neighboring cities to do their shopping while grabbing a bottle of wine, she explained.
Nathalie Prud'homme echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that SAQ stores aid local development and play a "grabby" role in the hearts of cities and villages, supporting nearby merchants.
"This is what stirs up a downtown area," she said.
Prud'homme feels the SAQ is fighting against the government's urban planning agendas and has the "responsibility to respect" the National Policy on Spatial Planning, a policy it adopted itself, which champions downtown areas.
"The SAQ's move directly impacts the de-animation of downtown areas," she continued, stressing that the SAQ plays a greater role than mere purveyor of alcohol.
"A state-owned corporation serves a wider purpose than simply making a profit," Mayor Ektvedt elaborated.
"Consequently, I call on the Quebec government to impose a moratorium on branch closures until the state society comes up with a territorial responsibility policy," proclaimed Mayor Marchand.
"The closure of branches is unjustified and would have significant economic consequences for communities," posited Christian Savard, chief honcho of pro-city organization Vivre en Ville.
Insight: The controversial closure of SAQ stores in downtown Quebec continues to spark strong opposition from local leaders, with calls for a moratorium or reconsideration of store closures. However, no official moratorium or changes to territorial responsibility policies have been confirmed as of mid-May 2025. The debate remains a hot topic, particularly as mayors challenge the SAQ's justifications for shuttering stores, questioning the accuracy of data used to demonstrate declining profitability.
- The heated discussion over SAQ store closures in Quebec has propelled municipal officials to demand a territorial responsibility policy for the SAQ, asserting that the closures are costly and counterproductive.
- As the anticipated closing of SAQ stores sparks concerns over downtown area de-animation, Mayor Marchand has urged the Quebec government to impose a moratorium on branch closures, highlighting the broader role of a state-owned corporation beyond mere profitability.
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