MOUNT FOREST – A longtime one-stop shop for farmers has confirmed it will close its doors for good later this year.
In an emailed statement, Jest Sidloski, vice-president of marketing and customer experience at Peavey Industries LP, confirmed the Mount Forest Peavey Mart at 445 Main St. North will close in Q2 of 2025.
Sidloski couldn't confirm why the store was closing.
"Peavey Industries LP (“Peavey”) has announced plans to close 22 Peavey Mart locations in Ontario and Nova Scotia. This decision marks an initial step in the company’s broader efforts to address current challenges, strengthen its operations, and position itself for future sustainability," they said in a press release.
Stores slated for closure are: Arnprior, Bedford, Bowmanville, Brockville, Chatham, Collingwood, Cornwall, Goderich, Grimsby, Kingston, Kitchener, Lambeth, Mount Forest, New Liskeard, Sarnia, Smiths Falls, St. Catharines, St. Jacobs, St. Thomas, Sudbury, Woodstock, and Uxbridge.
Sidloski has confirmed there are no plans to close the Guelph Peavey Mart on Silvercreek Parkway "at this time."
Stores in Cambridge's and Waterloo have closed.
While the store has not released an official announcement, a Facebook post on Jan. 17 showing the store's closing banner and up to 30 per cent off in sales was news to many residents, with over 200 comments sharing mixed reactions.
"Oh no, the farming community needs this store," said one commenter, Lorraine Willett.
"I'm really not surprised. We used to go there a lot when it was TSC," said Barbara Payne Fluney. "We went around Christmas time. The prices seemed unreal. It will be missed by a lot of people though."
"Peavey drove this franchise right off a cliff. There is strong demand for stores providing wares to small business farmers, rural citizens and homesteaders," said Scott Patterson. "Peavey did nothing to aggressively capture that market and floundered around for years with no identity."
"Sorry to hear this. I enjoy the store and staff there and hope they all find future employment," said Dee Ann.
According to the Peavey Mart site, the company's roots go back to 1967 when it started as National Farmway, a chain of "super farm markets" whose first location opened in Dawson Creek, BC.
By 1975, the company was known as Peavey Mart, a subsidiary of Peavey Company of Minneapolis before returning to Canadian ownership in 1984.
Formerly a Tractor Supply Company (TSC), the Mount Forest location became a Peavey Mart in 2017 after Peavey Industries took over the franchise in 2017.
There are currently 90 stores across Canada, ranging in size from 10,000 to 48,000 sq. ft.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
