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Richmond teen swimming standout Noemie Thomas is going to the University of California Berkeley in 2014 after weighing options from several high profile NCAA programs.
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Sears to close, Target aims for Nov. 13 opening Simpson-Sears first opened in Richmond in 1964
advantage of that offer,” said Power. As for how many jobs within the chain will be lost because of the deal, Power said Richmond’s major retail landscape shifted staff levels will need to be carefully managed significantly on the news of two announceas the closing date approaches, “so we can ments earlier this week. terminate as few positions as possible.” One of the city’s longest serving departPower added that since there remains ment stores — Sears at Richmond Centre a number of Sears stores in the Lower — will be closing by February 2015, while Mainland, staff wishing to remain with the newcomer Target set the opening date of its company will have an opportunity to relocate. Lansdowne Centre location for “That can probably happen Scan this because the turnover rate is such Nov. 13. page to that we’d be likely to find positions The closure of Sears locally comment for them.” will bring to an end an association online of the brand that was first part of Included in the closures is Sears’ the Richmond Square location as flagship location at Toronto’s Eaton Simpson-Sears in 1964 and later Centre. The move is expected to became one of the single largest retailers affect 965 employees across the country. when an amalgamation of Richmond Square As for speculation on what will fill the and Richmond Centre took place in the early soon-to-be vacant space, Cadillac Fairview 1990s. Currently, the two-storey, 145,000remains tight-lipped. But following U.S. square-foot store employs 159 full and partretailer Nordstrom’s acquisition of Sears’ time workers. Downtown Vancouver location last year, specAccording to Sears Canada, the store cloulation is the upmarket chain is in contention sure is one of five across the chain with the for other locations in Greater Vancouver. company receiving payment, worth an estiMeanwhile, across town at Lansdowne mated $400 million from landlord Cadillac Centre, officials from Target announced the Fairview and its partners, to terminate their Richmond location will be among six of its leases early. stores across the Lower Mainland that will Sears Canada’s divisional vice president, open for business on Nov. 13. Vincent Power, told the Richmond News the The two-storey, 138,000-square-foot department store chain has no present stratlocal Target is situated where, most recently egy in place to close stores but was offered Zellers, was located. Target already has 33 the early lease termination deal that made stores across Canada, most of them moving economic sense. into re-developed spaces last held by Zellers. Power said Sears had to weigh how much “The final store openings for this year of a return the five stores would produce over mark a major milestone in Target’s history,” the remaining length of the leases in relation said Tony Fisher, president of Target Canada, to the money being offered by the landlord. in a press release. “The goal for our Canadian In the end, the money on the table won expansion was to open 124 stores across all the day. 10 provinces in 2013...We have accomplished “It was clear to us that we should take this unprecedented undertaking.” BY PHILIP RAPHAEL
praphael@richmond-news.com
PHOTOS BY NIMA ZADRAFI
The Mad Hatter was out in support of the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and other furry friends at the RAPS Halloween gala Saturday night. See photos page 12.
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