What’s old is new again: Valleyview IGA has reopened along 142 Street at 91 Avenue in west Edmonton.
The return of an IGA to the Valleyview Shopping Centre in the Parkview neighbourhood was announced earlier this summer and store manager Stuart Trenchard said there’s been a lot of interest.
“Customers have been knocking on the doors for two months since we’ve been doing construction — they’re so excited to see us come back,” he said. “They’re so excited to see the IGA brand come back.”
University of Alberta school of retailing director John Pracejus said with rising food prices in recent years, having a neighbourhood grocery store under a familiar name is a big draw for some shoppers.
“I think going back to the IGA banner is going to be very helpful to them,” Pracejus said. “People that remember that store being there for decades and decades are probably going to give it another shot and maybe return.”
Trenchard has decades of experience in the grocery business, starting as a bag boy at the Morinville IGA and working his way up to managing and owning other Sobeys properties in the Edmonton region.
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He says there’s nostalgia tied to the IGA brand more commonly seen in smaller communities.
“I grew up at IGA, I started when I was 14 years old so this brings back a lot of memories, feelings, emotions for me,” he said. “I get what they mean when they want to come back to an IGA.”
He also feels having a local grocery store is important to residents of established neighbourhoods.
“I think it means a lot to the customer, from what they’re telling us. They can walk here now, they have a community store. They don’t have to drive 10 or 15 minutes anymore,” Trenchard said.
The IGA replaces the short-lived artisan grocer L’OCA Quality Market, which shut down this past March after only operating in the space since January 2025.
Some of the former L’OCA staff have been brought on at the new IGA, which has hired about 45-50 people, according to the city councillor Thu Parmar.
“That’s hiring students, that’s hiring people in this neighbourhood who can also work and live in their neighbourhood,” she said.
Prior to L’OCA, the space was home to Andy’s IGA for nearly six decades, before owner and namesake Andy Taschuk retired in 2024.
“Operating the store for 59 years meant a lot to us and our family,” said Taschuk, who worked in the supermarket business his entire career and lived within blocks of his store for decades.
“The community around this IGA store is the best community in Edmonton. They really appreciate the independent grocer.”
Taschuk was one of dozens of people waiting Thursday morning for the store to reopen.
He said grocery stores act almost like a community gathering space, and he hopes to see the new version of the IGA thrive.
“I’m sure they’ll be supporting it wonderfully in the next 59 years.”
The grocery store will be open 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
Gates Guarin has more information in the video above.
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