‘I left the store in tears’ : Prince Albert mother raises concerns with pandemic policy

By Nigel Maxwell

By all accounts, Shannon Halpenny’s trip to the grocery store Wednesday night with her seven-year-old son should have been routine, but she says the events that transpired left her shaken and upset.

The 45-year-old single parent stopped at Safeway in Prince Albert to pick up milk, and told paNOW she was met at the door by a man she claims was the store manager.

“He said only one person per household,” she said.

Halpenny said she attempted to tell the man she was a single mom and had no other options, but again was told no.

“I was kind of in shock. Like, (my son) is seven, he can’t stay home alone,” she said. A list of rules posted at the store’s main entrance displays a total capacity limit but does not mention limits to individual households.

A list of rules posted at the store’s main entrance displays a total capacity limit but does not mention limits to individual households. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Halpenny said she continued to plead her case, but claims she was then told she was not welcome at the store, and instructed to go shop someplace else.

“I was near speechless. I left the store in tears,” she said. “What are single parents supposed to do? I work full time. Lots of time I can’t get my shopping done until I’m done work.”

She noted she has no other family in town.

Halpenny shared her experience on Facebook, and when paNOW attempted to get a comment from store management about the incident, they declined, explaining they don’t respond to social media posts.

According to the Sobeys website, the group that owns Safeway, customers are encouraged, “to the extent they are able, to designate one family member to shop for their family.”

paNOW also reached out to other grocery stores in the city. The management for both Lake Country Co-op and Harold’s IGA also said they encourage shopping to be done by one family member, but added they would not turn away a parent with kids.

“We are understanding of personal family situations where that may not be possible,” Harold’s IGA owner Chris Szeszorak told paNOW.

Loblaws, the parent company of the Real Canadian Superstore, also provided a statement to paNOW. The company explained that from the onset of the pandemic it has implemented a number of measures to help keep colleagues and customers safe while they work and shop.

“As it stands, while it’s strongly encouraged to limit your shop to one person per household, we would never deny admittance to anyone accompanied by additional family members or children,”‘ the statement said.

COVID cases at Safeway

According to the Sobeys website, five store employees at the Prince Albert Safeway have tested positive for COVID-19 between Nov. 13 and this past Wednesday.

For two of the employees, the last day they worked was on Nov. 5. Two others worked on Nov. 6 and the other case was last at the store on Nov. 7.