Wal-Mart reveals expansion’s first phase

Constructed in 1994, Thunder Bay’s Wal-Mart was one of the first of the big box chain’s stores to be built in Canada and until now hasn’t seen many upgrades.

However, Friday the store unveiled the first phase of its expansion to include a full grocery section.

“We get a little bit of a facelift to the store,” said general manager Ryan Holomego. “There has been some growing pains as we work through the construction, but we see that coming to an end; we see light at the end of the tunnel.”

In addition to a full grocery section, Holomego said they’ve added 150 jobs at the Thunder Bay location. 

Shovels first hit the ground for the expansion last March and while a new section of frozen and dry goods as well as cleaning products was opened to customers, the work isn’t done yet.

In early June, they expect to open their produce, bakery and deli area and then have all the construction loose ends tied by early to mid-summer.

“It’s been quite a long process, a little bit longer than maybe we had hoped for,” said Holomego. “The customers in Thunder Bay have been fantastic in putting up with us through the construction progress.”

By adding square footage, the store also has wider aisles, something Holomego said customers have been asking for.

“We have listened to our customers,” he said, adding they’ve also put in more cash registers.