ELORA – A public meeting on proposal that would see a new grocery store built on the edge of Elora was a mostly low key affair, but one business owner didn’t think Elora was big enough for a second grocery store.
Council and the public heard about a rezoning and an official plan amendment request Wednesday evening to allow for a commercial development at 22 Park Rd. in Elora at the edge of town behind the Gorge Country Kitchen.
Proposed is an unspecified “retail food store” behind the Gorge Country Kitchen.
Part of this development is also for a standalone drive-thru McDonald’s beside the existing restaurant but planning consultant Scott Patterson explained this part of the development was not the subject of this public meeting and is already allowed under its current zoning.
Few spoke on this proposal but it caught the eye of someone with experience bringing a grocery store to Elora.
Debra Kropf, owner of the Geddes Street Market independent grocery store opened in 2021, was “strongly opposed.”
“I have a hard enough time trying to find employees and trying to get the town to support me as it is,” Kropf said. “I don’t think our township (Elora) is big enough to support two grocery stores.”
She explained there's barely enough staff to provide the services offered and isn’t making a lot of money on the store.
“I do my best and if you wanted Foodland I could have done that but I wanted this town to remain beautiful with a different branding,” Kropf said. “I didn’t choose a banner store, I went independent.”
Dushan Divjak, a newer resident to Elora, said he liked what was proposed.
“We definitely need another grocery store,” Divjak said. “Today, something came out in the news saying that more competition in the grocery business is needed in order to control prices. I believe that is definitely something we need here in Elora.”
Patterson wasn’t sure how to respond to Kropf but assured the audience feedback is taken very seriously and will be taken into account.
Beyond a clarification point, council had no questions or comments on the proposal.
This request will be considered at a later council meeting.
