Some downtown Orangeville residents are likely disappointed that Sobeys is moving to Riddell Road and Centennial Drive next month from its present west Broadway location, but the move might bode well for Orangeville and area people seeking work.

When the store moves next month, it will increase its floor space by about 50 per cent - to about 46,000 square fee from about 30,000 - and a source at the present store said the present staff of about 150 plans to move with it, but there'll be as many as 50 additional employees joining them at the new site. The source didn't wish to be identified.

Merchants in the Westdale plaza are also curious about the move and equally disappointed that it might mean the loss of an anchor store. They went through about a two-year period of declining sales when the former IGA outlet shut down over labour strife, among other things and was replaced by the current store.

The plaza had become once more a beehive of activity when Derek and Johanne Leduc took over the IGA franchise in the rebuilt Garden Market IGA on Aug. 18, 2000. That continued after Sobeys purchased the Oshawa Group and renamed the store in September 2002.

Now the 30,000-squarefoot outlet is closing, but no one locally knows for how long. Mr. Leduc said he would be unable to comment, as he doesn't know. He indicated that the corporation owns the store, and he and his wife are simply franchisees.

He and Johanne referred inquires to the corporate communications department.