Left Hand Lane In Parts Of Warren Avenue Closed For BOPU Service

Left Hand Lane In Parts Of Warren Avenue Closed For BOPU Service

In a Facebook post by the Cheyenne City Government, the left-hand lane will be closed by the Board Of Public Utilities on Warren Avenue between West 25th and West 27th Streets. They’re working on servicing lines and doing basic repairs to the lines in that area.

The work is said to last three to five days and overnights for completion of the work. Townsquare Media contacted the Board Of Public Utilities to ask if there were to be any boil advisories due to the work, but officials said it’s nothing more than basic maintenance and should be relatively quick service.

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In the meantime, you’ll have to stick to the right lane for those three blocks on Warren Avenue, with the left lane being shut down. Expect minor delays with the lane shifts. We’ll keep you updated if there are any changes with this project.

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Two stores to close in St. Albert Centre

Jillian Creech, St. Albert Centre mall manager, said she could not speak to the closure of the two stores or future plans. However, the mall had seen a two-per-cent growth in sales over the last year since new retailers have moved into the renovated space.

Peoples Jewellers was one of the first businesses to open at the mall 40 years ago. BRITTANY GERVAIS/St. Albert Gazette

1 / 1 Peoples Jewellers was one of the first businesses to open at the mall 40 years ago. BRITTANY GERVAIS/St. Albert Gazette

Two stores, Peoples Jewellers and Stokes, are closing at the St. Albert Centre mall.

Last week, a salesperson at Peoples Jewellers said they found out the store would be closing to customers on March 24. Signs hanging in the window advertised a 20- to 50-per-cent off sale.

The jewelry store was one of the first businesses to open at the mall 40 years ago.

“We don’t know why yet, (head office) technically doesn’t tell us any details,” said Suzanne Martel, who had worked at the store for the past four years. “We have no clue what is going on.”

Peoples Jewellers is the largest retailer of fine jewellery in Canada, with nearly 150 locations from the Maritimes to British Columbia.

Martel estimated around eight other people are working at the St. Albert location.

“Well for myself and one of my other coworkers, who has been here for 22 years, we are older women. It’s going to be hard to find another job,” she said.

Another coworker, who asked to remain anonymous, said their store sees a lot of senior customers who will now have to travel to the Kingsway Mall in Edmonton for the next closest Peoples location.

Employees at the St. Albert Stokes location said a closing date hadn’t been confirmed yet, and declined to comment on the store’s closure. ‘Store closing’ signs hang in the windows, along with signs advertising a 10- to 50-per-cent off sale.

Last month, the kitchenware and home decor retailer announced it will be “reducing its retail footprint in Canada” and streamlining its head office operations in Montreal. The Stokes Retail Group has over 150 locations across the country.

“After many years of solid financial performance, Stokes, like most other retailers, is adapting to fundamental changes in the industry, including how customers shop,” the company stated in a press release.

“The company will continue investing in its online business which has experienced material growth over the last few years.”

Stokes noted it will be closing its less profitable stores, but will maintain a majority of retail locations across Canada. The Stokes store had opened with the redevelopment of the new wing of St. Albert Centre in 2017, after Target vacated the 117,000-square-foot space in 2015.

Jillian Creech, St. Albert Centre mall manager, said she could not speak to the closure of the two stores or future plans. However, the mall had seen a two-per-cent growth in sales over the last year since new retailers have moved into the renovated space.

The closure of Peoples Jewellers and Stokes follows the shutdown of three other businesses in the mall in recent months.

Carlton Cards announced its closure in late January after parent company, Schurman Retail Group, announced the closure of all its retail stores in North America.

The local Things Engraved store shut its doors in early January immediately after the company announced the closure of all its storefronts in Canada, citing an inability to compete with online retailers.

Montreal-based Bentley Leathers also closed its St. Albert location in December after the retailer announced it would be shedding its underperforming stores.

‘Somebody’s got it’: Customers out hundreds of dollars after jewelry shop closes

EDMONTON – At least eight customers of an Edmonton jewelry store and repair shop are without their jewelry — some worth thousands of dollars — after the store closed.

Linda Rodd-Kitchen dropped off her $2,500 ring at Heart to Heart Jewellery on 118 Avenue in late October for repairs. She had been doing business with David Dorash, who had made her precious ring, for two decades.

“It was little pieces of gold from my grandmother’s ring, my mother’s ring, that was melted down,” Rodd-Kitchen said.

Dorash had been in and out of hospital recently. When Rodd-Kitchen called to arrange to pick her ring up at his shop, an unfamiliar woman answered.

“And said Dave had passed away. And they were going to have to break into the safe,” Rodd-Kitchen said.

She called again the next day.

“And I said I was wondering whether I could come and pick up my ring and he goes, ‘Well do you have a slip?’ And I go, ‘No we never had a slip with Dave.'” Instead, customers said Dorash would place the jewelry in a small brown envelope and write customer’s name and number on it.

“We never questioned it,” Rodd Kitchen said. “I had never had a problem. Ever.”

Hours later, Rodd-Kitchen discovered the shop was empty with a note directing customers to contact the jeweller’s family.

Edmonton Police Service spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said 15 people reported missing jewelry. EPS investigated but no charges were laid.

“I believe police returned jewellery [sic] to three complainants and family also made effort to return jewellery to complainants as well,” Voordenhout said. “Unfortunately the record keeping on the part of the store wasn’t there. So it’s very difficult for investigators to know what was in the store at any given time.”

CTV News Edmonton has spoken with seven additional customers who say they haven’t been able to recover their jewelry either. Christina Miketic-Ketsa said she is now without a $500-necklace and her wedding ring, appraised at $8,500, but managed to recover $4,000 through insurance.

CTV News also reached out to Dorash’s brother, Ernie, who said via text, “Not one piece was taken by any family member.

“When the safe was opened it was empty,” Dorash added.

Customers are still puzzled to what happened. Police said a break-in and robbery was reported at Heart to Heart Jewellery on Aug. 7 for a robbery on July 30. No arrests were made and some jewellery was reportedly stolen. CTV News has also learned Dorash was diagnosed with dementia.

“It’s out there somewhere,” Rodd-Kitchen said. “Somebody’s got it.”

Rodd-Kitchen is now considering legal action against Dorash’s estate.