MOUNT PEARL, N.L. — Colemans grocery has decided to pay all its retail workers on the Avalon for every missed shift since the blizzard began Friday.
The store reopened in Mount Pearl today (Monday).
“It should be a well-received piece of information. Nobody knew how this was going to play out,” said Gill, who added the company learned from the #DarkNL experience. “It’s been difficult on everybody.”
About 200-250 people were affected by the store closures at Colemans.
Gill said there’s been some suggestion the City of St. John’s might make an announcement regarding limited opening hours for grocery stores Tuesday if the state of emergency is not lifted.
The Mount Pearl store was blocked Monday morning and as fast as staff put out fresh bread, it was being snapped up.
There are some challenges with fresh fruit and berries, and short shelf-life products but he said the store has regular things like apples and oranges. Gill credited the fact that the company invested in warehouses and so are not as dependent on the ferries as some others.
“We have greater holding power here on the ground,” he said.
Gill reiterated that the company is hoping to get everyone back to work soon, but understands the safety-first plan in St. John’s.
Meanwhile, because a staff member lives on the street, the company quietly unlocked its doors Merrymeeting Road location in St. John's Saturday night for NL Power crews who had run out of supplies, but had been working around the clock repairing power lines.
The food and water was donated to them by the company, Gill said.
“We were happy to help them in just a small way to react and try to keep them on the roads and fed.”
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Colemans grocery store in Mount Pearl opened this morning at 8 a.m. — as the state of emergency is lifted there — and will remain open until 8 p.m.
Spokesman Greg Gill said getting staff in is really difficult given the amount of snow that has fallen.
The grocery store chain has been in contact with the City of St. John’s, which is still under a state of emergency and waiting for the nod to reopen.
“We’re concerned people are getting restless and need food….. We’re anxious to get back at it but we understand the safety first rationality,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sobeys will be opening its Mount Pearl store from 10 a.m. to 8;30 p.m.
In Paradise, the Sobey is also open from 10 a.m to 11 p.m. and the Long Pond Sobeys store in Conception Bay South is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
