15 months after the July 6, 2013 tragedy, Metro Plus Centre-ville in Lac-Mégantic opens its doors

New district, new beginning!

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 15, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - It is with great pride that the partners in the new Metro Plus Centre-ville de Lac-Mégantic have announced that they open the doors to their new store tomorrow. Located at 6000 rue Papineau, the supermarket is the first business to open in the new centralized downtown core located in the Fatima district. Thanks to an investment of more than $12 million, Lac-Mégantic residents will be served by approximately 125 employees, including roughly 85 from the former store on rue Frontenac.

"For us, it was essential that we continue serving the Lac-Mégantic community and open as quickly as possible. That is why we joined forces with the City to build the new commercial hub in the Fatima district," explained Christian Bourbonnière, Senior Vice-President, Québec Division, Metro Inc. "I would like to underscore the collaborative efforts of Ville de Lac-Mégantic, as well as those of the numerous stakeholders who played a vital role in bringing this project to fruition."  

"The opening of Metro Plus Centre-ville is symbolic for the entire Lac-Mégantic community. For us, it means reconnecting with both our employees and our customers," explained Philippe Valiquette, Senior Partner at Metro Plus Centre-ville. "Over the past 15 months, not a day has gone by that I haven't been asked when we would reopen. Now I can finally say, "it's mission accomplished!"

Customers will again be able to put their hands on the products they used to love at the Metro on rue Frontenac, along with many new items. An emphasis on product freshness and variety are a highlight of the new store. Among other features, the location is home to a sushi counter, a bistro, a meat department complete with a butcher, an in-store chef who will be preparing ready-to-serve meals, and a new fruit and vegetable concept. This will allow for a wider variety of products and enhanced freshness, not to mention a broader assortment of product categories due to the more spacious layout of the new premises. Philippe Valiquette and his partners have also made sure that the shelves will contain a number of new products from local producers. These will be easy to locate inside the new store, where they will be showcased in a clearly marked display stand.

Philippe Valiquette and his partners, along with their entire team, are looking forward to welcoming back their customers. The Valiquette family has been serving the people of Lac Mégantic for more than 30 years.

Metro Inc.

With annual sales of over $11 billion, METRO INC. (TSX: MRU), founded in 1947, is the only major Canadian food distribution company to have its head office in Quebec. Along with its affiliates and franchisees, METRO INC. employs in Quebec and Ontario over 65,000 people, whose mission is to satisfy their customers every day and earn their-long term loyalty. METRO INC. operates a network of almost 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.

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SOURCE: METRO INC.

Geneviève Grégoire, [email protected], 514 643-1000 # 2055