The owners of the Hops Drive plaza in Haliburton are planning a “significant investment” in the building; including renovating to accommodate a large Pet Valu store in the space to be vacated by The Beer Store after Jan. 11 2026.
Adam Brind has owned the building since 2021. He said after NAPA Auto Parts left the plaza, he built their new location on Industrial Park Road. He said Pet Valu reached out nearly 18 months ago, but at the time, there was no vacancy.
That changed with The Beer Store confirming it would be closing its Haliburton location.
Brind said, “now, Pet Valu will be taking over all of The Beer Store and two-thirds of the old NAPA space, about 5,500 sq. ft., growing quite substantially from their current location (on Highland Street).” He said they wanted more space and better parking.
Brind said while they were “just as upset as everybody else about them (The Beer Store) leaving” it was “a good time to transition to a new tenant and Pet Valu was there.”
The other tenants are McFadden’s Meat Market and Pharmasave – Haliburton Village Pharmacy.
Brind said the project will consist of three phases: interior renovations, including combining two units for Pet Valu; exterior work, including windows, doors, new cladding and canopies; and the parking lot, including asphalt, curbs and landscaping. Work is underway and he hopes to have it complete by July. Pet Valu is expected to take possession in early April and open mid-to-late June or early July.
Pet Valu confirmed the move to The Highlander last week.
Sharing the renderings, Brind said, “it’s really going to change that whole area, that whole building, and Hops Drive.”
In terms of aesthetics, he added, “we want to make it look like it belongs in Haliburton and feels like cottage country. Our goal is to keep the building in-line with the vernacular of the community, including wood siding, beautiful new windows, etc.”
With the A&W plaza now in place, Brind thinks the area is bringing much-needed commercial development to Haliburton. “There is really no place to grow in Haliburton. We are very bullish on that area. We’re very excited about it. We think that Haliburton is growing quickly. We love the idea of being a part of that growth, definitely love the idea of improving some of the architecture here and modernizing it. We’re excited about this project. In the long-term, we have no intent of selling buildings. We believe in Haliburton and we believe in our tenants and we’re here to stay.”
Four Haliburton staff impacted
The decision to shutter The Beer Store (TBS) in Haliburton affects a manager and three part-time workers, the union representing TBS employees said.
John Nock, president of the UFCW Canada Local 12R24 confirmed the numbers in an email to The Highlander Nov. 21.
He noted staff will have the choice of relocating to another store or accepting a severance package.
He added, “this is store 120 that has closed as part of (Premier Doug) Ford’s idea to make alcohol more convenient. The Beer Store brought price stability and a place to return all empty alcohol containers. Our members have responsibly sold alcohol for almost 100 years.”
Nock said, “people have not said ‘I can’t find a beer to buy’. They say they can’t find a doctor, or wait hours at the hospital (are too long); or daycare is unaffordable. Ford puts his priorities in making alcohol more convenient in his opinion.”
Dollarama update
Meanwhile, Dollarama has indicated the opening of its planned Haliburton location, in a new building on Hops Drive, isn’t imminent. The company advertised job postings for a manager and assistant manager in Haliburton in late 2024.
Asked if they were still hiring, spokesperson Lyla Radmanovich said, “we do not have a confirmed store opening at this site. Given Dollarama’s continued growth across Canada and the high volume of real estate activity, our policy is to provide comment only when a new store opening is confirmed and scheduled.”
