TNRED welcomes Red River Co-op full-service food store and pharmacy to Portage Place redevelopment

Trusted local cooperative brings deep Manitoba roots and community values to landmark downtown redevelopment

A full-service Red River Co-op food store and pharmacy is coming to downtown Winnipeg as part of the redevelopment of the former Portage Place. A 22,500-square-foot store and 6,500-square-foot pharmacy will provide much-needed essential services to the downtown community and its growing residential population.

“Red River Co-op was founded nearly 90 years ago on the belief that people working together can create stronger communities. Our investment in the Portage Place redevelopment reflects that same belief today,” said Craig Gilpin, Red River Co-op CEO. “This project is about more than building a food store and pharmacy, it is about bringing essential services back to the heart of our city, investing locally, and helping create a downtown Winnipeg that future generations will be proud to call their own.”

“Full-scale grocery and pharmacy have always been central to our plans for the redevelopment of the former Portage Place, and Red River Co-op’s member-owned, community-first model is a natural fit for the neighbourhood we are working to build in downtown Winnipeg. True North Real Estate Development couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Co-op to their future home in the heart of downtown,” said Jim Ludlow, President of True North Real Estate Development (TNRED). “Access to fresh food, household needs and pharmacy services within walking distance is an essential part of improving the livability of our downtown for the thousands of people who already call downtown home, and the thousands more who soon will.”

Red River Co-op has served Winnipeg and surrounding communities since 1937 and will bring its commitment to delivering exceptional value, quality products and outstanding services to its new location in the heart of downtown. As a locally owned cooperative, Co-op will offer downtown residents, workers and visitors more than the convenience of fresh food, pharmacy services and everyday essentials close to home. Through membership, customers can also share in the success of the business, with profits returned to members through annual patronage and reinvested in the communities Red River Co-op serves. For downtown Winnipeg, that means a new neighbourhood amenity rooted not only in access and convenience, but in local ownership, shared values and community benefit.

Throughout the redevelopment’s planning phases, community surveys and public consultations consistently identified a competitive and full-service food store as a priority need within the downtown. A recent Government of Manitoba study further reinforced the need for improved access to grocery services in the area.

“A full-service grocery store has been talked about for years as one of the missing pieces downtown. More people are choosing to live downtown, and the City approved more downtown housing permits last year than ever before. This investment by Red River Co-op will help make the Portage Place redevelopment, and downtown as a whole, a more complete neighbourhood with fresh food, pharmacy services, housing, healthcare, and community spaces all close together.”

“This announcement is an important step forward for the broader vision taking shape in downtown Winnipeg. The new Red River Co-op food store and pharmacy will provide essential, walkable access to fresh food, household needs, and pharmacy services for future residents of the TN-SCO 92 housing tower at Portage Place, as well as the residents who will call Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn home,” said Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “As SCO redevelops the former Hudson’s Bay building into housing, cultural, and community spaces, access to a full-service food store and pharmacy nearby will help ensure First Nations citizens and families have the supports they need close to where they live. Together, these projects are helping create a more complete, connected, and livable downtown."

Set to open in 2029, Co-op’s 10th food store and pharmacy is anticipated to create 57 local jobs, further strengthening Red River Co-op’s commitment to serving and investing in the community.

Red River Co-op will join the Healthcare Centre of Excellence (HCCE) and the residential tower as a key anchor of the new campus. Construction of the HCCE is currently underway with development of the residential tower set to proceed as the project’s second phase.