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FHC Enterprises buys Clearwater Fields outlet

It appears that Clearwater’s Fields store will continue operating - possibly even under the Fields name

It appears that Clearwater’s Fields store will continue operating - possibly even under the Fields name.

According to information from Barry Walchuk, a newly formed company called FHC Enterprises Ltd. is purchasing the rights to the assets of 59 of the 141 Fields-HBC stores in western Canada that had been announced as being liquidated and closed.

Clearwater is one of the 59.

The Walchuk family owns the building that the local store is located in.

“This is good news for the employees and the people of Clearwater,” Walchuk said. “The District of Clearwater has been working hard with us to make something like this happen. We’d like to thank the community for its support.”

Field’s Stores have been a part of the western Canadian landscape since 1948 when Joseph Segal opened the first store in Vancouver. Over the years it merged with Zellers and finally was absorbed, along with Zellers, by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The Hudson’s Bay Company then was sold to an American corporation headed by Jerry Zucker. Shortly after Zucker’s death it was resold to NRDC of New York.

HBC announced last February that it planned to close all 167 Fields stores in Canada.

On Mar. 5 the Bargain! Shop announced that it was acquiring 10 of the Fields stores in western Canada scheduled to be closed, including those in Agassiz, Armstrong and New Hazelton in B.C.

 

FHC Enterprises Ltd. is a new company headed by Jason McDougall. Originally from Saskatchewan and now a businessman in metro Vancouver, MacDougall has been in the retail, wholesale and discount business for over 20 years. He has surrounded himself with a team of retail experts that have a cumulated experience spanning more than 100 years.