Chris Clegg
South Peace News
The dust hasn’t even settled inside the building formerly occupied by Peavey Mart but interest has already arisen from potential tenants, says its owner.
Martin Blair, managing director, First Aberdeen Property Ltd., which owns the East Gate property in High Prairie’s east end, says he has answered phone calls about the property.
“We do have interest in the site,” says Blair, adding a potential tenant could choose to either lease or purchase the property and building.
“Only on the phone,” he adds.
Blair is looking forward to the next few weeks to see “who comes forward” with a serious offer. Inquiries, although a positive sign, are one thing but offers another matter.
He adds his company just received the keys March 28 after the store’s closure March 26. He was coming to High Prairie April 3 to complete a final inspection of the store.
“We have not been able to secure any tenants,” says Blair.
“But we’re just at the beginning of the process. We should know something toward the end of April or early May.”
Peavey Mart celebrated its grand opening in High Prairie Oct. 21, 2016. The company officially announced in late January they were closing its stores across Canada. Liquidation signs quicky went up and the store attempted to sell its remaining stock.
Peavey Mart acquired TSC Stores in 2016 and expanded aggressively. In 2020, they acquired the Canadian master licence for ACE Hardware, giving them the right to manage ACE Hardware stores in Canada. That agreement came to an end in 2024. Shortly after, Peavey Mart announced it was closing “under-performing stores” and later organized a restructuring plan aimed at stabilizing the business. The financial pressures proved to be too difficult for the company, leading to the closure of its 90+ stores in Canada.