While many St. Vital Centre shops have papered their storefronts with holiday décor, one outlet representing hundreds of Manitoba products has different signage — closure notices.

“This decision wasn’t ours,” said Peter Fehr, co-founder of Love Local Manitoba.

The shop has maintained an outpost in the south Winnipeg mall for six years in varying capacities. It was a seasonal pop-up for about three years, Fehr said. Around 2021, it moved Manitoba makers’ goods into a more permanent stall near the former Hudson’s Bay.

Roughly 100 suppliers stock the store — such as Utoffeea, Jacked Up Jill Coffee and Decadence Chocolates, Fehr said.

St. Vital Centre wouldn’t renew Love Local Manitoba’s lease despite growing sales at the shop, Fehr said: “We don’t know why.”

St. Vital Centre declined to

See Full Page