Save-On-Foods to open in Whitehorse

B.C.-based retailerSave-On-Foods has announced plans to build a new retail grocery store in Whitehorse. It'll be the first Save-On-Foods store in Yukon.

There has been speculation about the company's Whitehorseambitions since it purchased a plot of vacantland at the corner of Chilkoot Way and Quartz Road this past winter. A ground-breaking ceremony is to happen Wednesdayat the site.

The company says it will build a 42,000-square foot retail storewith an adjacent 12,000-square-foot wholesale store on the property. Construction is scheduledto begin later this year.

Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones is expected at Wednesday's ground-breaking event, along with mayor Dan Curtis and Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce president Rick Karp.

The store will be the thirdmajorgrocer in the downtown area, along withthe Real Canadian Superstore and Wykes' Your Independent Grocer.

Save-On-Foods has more than 100 supermarkets in western Canada, most of them in B.C.

The Whitehorse store is expected to open sometime in 2017.