Open grocery stores and dumpsters full of food

Grocery stores in the areas hardest hit by the blizzard were able to open their doors today as some Quebecers plunged into darkness for more than 72 hours, no longer having enough to eat.

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Grocers should be allowed to absorb thousands of dollars in losses due to power outages today.

They still need to have enough products and employees to open their doors.

“We have what we need, say, and we have a team that has worked hard from Friday evening, Friday through Saturday night, to deliver the maximum number of products to our customers,” he explained in an interview with TVA. Nouvelles, Franck Henault, owner of Intermarche Boer.

The Quebec Food Retailers Association (ADA) recognizes that certain products may be missing from some food markets.

“We are focusing on the basics, because people who have not been empowered for a few days, they need more basics. So we make sure these products are available. Other products may have gone missing. But that’s normal because of the heavy traffic in the last few days,” said Public and Government at ADA. Affairs Director Stéphane Lacasse said.

Many grocery stores that lost power were forced to throw away large amounts of food.

While many people buy their Easter supplies from grocery store refrigerators, others choose to rummage through these businesses’ dumpsters.

“I think it’s a good way to save money. At the same time, as long as we throw away, we can eat… store,” explains a citizen who collects food thrown in the garbage.

“Independents have more options. We can give. But the banners, sometimes, command the traders to throw away. But today, in 2023, there is less tolerance for food waste,” says food researcher Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University.