One small step

It arrived with little fanfare; no Business page feature, no agency glad-handing, but over the past few weeks, the first grocery store within the political boundaries of the Exchange District has opened up at 333 Garry Street, just south of Notre Dame. Tropica General Food Supply appears to sell goods typically found in the central city's corner grocery stores: cigarettes, bottled water, basic grocery items, international calling cards, et c.

This small store might not be the magical giant chain supermarket everyone believes will be the panacea for the Exchange District, but for people who actually use the Exchange and see it as a place that could one day be a fully functional place with a great quality of life (as opposed to those that see it as an endless expanse of brick parkades and bike lanes), this tiny little grocery store is a definate step toward that end.

***
I must also give credit to the Giant Tiger outlet at the corner of Donald and Ellice, which for some four years has sold a small selection of groceries, which past and present residents of the Exchange District that I have spoken to swear by.