‘Heartbreaking:’ Abrupt closure of Gananoque Salvation Army causes sadness, confusion among residents
The Salvation Army has been a fixture of the Gananoque community for over 100 years, accepting donations of clothing, shoes, housewares, books, toys and other necessities to sell at an affordable price for customers who may be experiencing financial difficulty. Those same customers learned on Thursday, March 27 via a paper notice posting on the door that the store would be permanently closing effective immediately.
The popular thrift store, located at 120 Garden Street, has closed temporarily in the past for renovations, but later reopened on October 26, 2022. However, this time, there are no signs of reopening.
The paper notice posted on the window yesterday stated “Following a strategic review, The Salvation Army’s Thrift Store and Community and Family Services in Gananoque will no longer be operational effective immediately. Donations will no longer be accepted.”
When this notice was posted online to a Gananoque community Facebook page, residents were quick to share their shock and sadness. Several community members in the comments expressed confusion at the sudden closure, explaining that they had just been in the store the day before and everything seemed to be operating as normal.
Facebook user Ryan O’Hearn shared his disappointment at the news in the comments, writing “It’s sudden closure leaves a significant gap in our community’s ability to care for its most vulnerable members. Gananoque is a town where many people depend on charitable services, and The Salvation Army has been a beacon of hope for the city’s most vulnerable members.”
User Frayne McCarthy echoed this disappointment, writing “The staff and volunteers were making a difference in this community. I truly think that they were changing and even saving lives. The news is heartbreaking.”
To address the concern for his constituents, Gananoque Mayor John S. Beddows shared a personalized, yet rather vague letter he received from Major Stephen McNeilly of the Salvation Army. In the letter, McNeilly stated “To identify the ongoing needs of the community, The Salvation Army will be reviewing how best to serve the most vulnerable through transformational programs that will focus on the root causes of poverty while achieving proactive outcomes.”
Mayor Beddows expressed he was also “surprised” to hear of the closure but said he would continue to share more information to his constituents as he receives it. Brockvilleist reached out to McNeilly directly for further information on this closure, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
We will continue to provide information on this situation as it becomes available.