Osoyoos Rona store faces Jan. 31 closure date

The upcoming Rona store closure in Osoyoos will affect just under a dozen people, Lowe’s Canada told Global News on Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, Lowe’s announced that it will be closing 34 underperforming stores across the country, including 26 Rona locations. Six are Lowe’s stores with the remaining two being Reno-Depot.

In B.C., just three stores will be closed: Lowe’s Prince George, Rona Surrey (Newton) and Rona Osoyoos.

Contacted about the Osoyoos store and its Jan. 31 closing date, Lowe’s Canada told Global News in an email that 11 people currently work at the store.

“However, it is too early to confirm the exact number of people who will lose their jobs at the end of the closure process, as many corporate stores from our network have unmet staffing needs,” Lowe’s Canada said in an email.

“Therefore, some employees may be offered the opportunity to transfer to a nearby store, whenever possible. This includes the hundreds of newly created merchandising support positions at our Rona and Reno-Depot big box stores across Canada.”

0:26 34 Lowe’s stores set to close across Canada

The email continued, stating “everything will be done to ensure a smooth transition until the stores are closed. All impacted employees will be supported by our HR team and will have access to the employee assistance program.

“Each impacted employee will receive a personalized letter detailing the conditions of their departure.”

According to Lowe’s Canada, the Osoyoos store opened in 2016 and was located on leased property.

2:27 Lowe’s slashes number of Canadian stores due to underperformance