The Chilliwack
Progress Tuesday
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The harp takes centre stage at the CSO’s latest evening of music.
Educators from Belize in Chilliwack.
Falcons flying in early action.
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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 3
Job losses come with LW store closure
■ C HILLY P ARADE
Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Employees at Liquidation World in Chilliwack face an uncertain new year after the firm that bought the store two years ago announced plans last week to shut it down. The announcement comes just two weeks before Christmas. And while the Chilliwack location is expected to remain open until at least January, the news is hitting employees hard. “It’s brutal,” said one staff member who asked his name not be used. It’s not clear how many jobs will be affected by the closure. A spokesperson for Liquidation World did not return calls in time for The Progress’ deadline. However, across Canada the closure could affect 1,500 workers. The local discount retailer was rebranded from a Liquidation World to a Big Lots store after the struggling LW brand was purchased by Big Lots in 2011. The lease of the local building is up at the end of January and it’s not clear if the store will remain open until then. Big Lots is North America’s largest closeout retailer and officials have decided to cut their losses in Canada. Lower than expected profits and competition were named as the primary reasons. Company officials said the publicly traded Big Lots was not able to “gain the necessary traction” in the Canadian market since the purchase, citing expected losses of more than $50 million for 2013. The wind-down is starting now and all 78 stores are expected to close by April 2014, including the headquarters in Brampton. Big Lots is the parent company of Liquidation World stores, which it also owns.
Retail 85¢ PLUS PST Box $1.00
Frigid temperatures couldn’t cool spirits at Saturday’s Christmas Parade. Justin Geurtsen takes a breath while playing with the Andrew Christopher band as part of the pre-parade entertainment. For more photos go to www.theprogress. com. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Mail box thefts prompt call for action Eric Welsh The Progress Ryder Lake residents are dealing with a rash of mailbox thefts, and a crown corporation that doesn’t seem to care. Barry Smith, who’s lived in the area for 33 years, says the first break-in occurred sometime around Dec. 1 and another break-in happened a few days later. He had just returned from a trip to Hawaii. His neighbors had been collecting his mail while he was away, and when
he went to fetch it they told him about the problem. The first break-ins were noticed at a bank of mailboxes on the corner of Parsons Road and Ryder Lake Road, but those weren’t the only ones invaded. A bank of boxes on Elk View Road, was also targeted, along with boxes further up the hill. “And those are only the ones we know about,” Smith said. “I have never received anything from Canada Post to tell me my box has been broken into.” Smith’s neighbors phoned the
post office, and reported the breakins in a voicemail message. Smith tried to do the same, dialing up the Sardis post office and asking for someone to call him back. No one did, so he dropped by for a face-to-face chat. “I talked to the postmaster, and he informed me the Chilliwack post office on Yale Road takes care of that sort of thing,” Smith said. “But they don’t have a phone number.” Well technically they do. Google Canada Post Yale Road and you’ll get 604-795-1604, a num-
ber that feeds you into an automated system. Choosing the ‘customer service’ option gets you a 1-800 number. Hitting zero in hopes of getting a human gets ‘the operator isn’t available’ message. Playing by the rules, Smith dialed the 1-800 number. He spoke to a woman who promised to take care of the problem and get back to him. She never did, leaving Smith thoroughly unimpressed. “I didn’t like the cavalier attitude that Canada Post displayed,” he said. Continued: MAILBOX/ p12
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