New Shoppers Plan for Picton Sparks Bigger Questions About Local Growth

In Picton, change has been happening slowly but steadily, especially as new businesses and developments begin to appear along Loyalist Parkway. For many residents, these changes bring both opportunity and concern. 

That is why people are not just reacting to a new Shoppers Drug Mart. They are reacting to what it could mean for the future of the town - who benefits from growth, what kinds of businesses are being added and what might be lost along the way in this project.

@Anthony Drummond

A new pharmacy-linked retail development is officially approved for the No Frills property on Loyalist Parkway, according to Prince Edward County planning records. But if the comments from the community are any guide, the real discussion goes beyond a single store.

The original report described the project as the arrival of Shoppers Drug Mart and the first phase of more commercial development at the site. Public records support the larger picture - that a pharmacy and multi-unit retail project has been approved for the existing No Frills property at 13287 Loyalist Parkway. County’s posted drawings show an existing retail building of about 27,200 square feet, plus proposed new retail buildings of roughly 17,123 to 17,300 square feet and 4,859 square feet, which is worth noting because those numbers shape how residents understand the scale of what is being built. Readers can review the site plan page and the public drawings themselves.

Many residents are not questioning whether the project is real. Instead, they are asking a different question: does Picton need another pharmacy.

This concern came up repeatedly. People pointed to existing local options such as County Drugstore, OneMed Pharmacy, Rexall, and Wellington-area pharmacies including Pharmasave Kocherry Pharmacy. Some said they plan to stay with their current provider. Others argued that if new commercial space is being added, they would rather see businesses that fill different needs in the community.

Reaction is also about identity. Some residents feel this project is a larger shift toward a high style chain of development. They worry this could draw customers away from downtown Picton and slowly change the town’s character. This concern connects to broader planning decisions. The municipality has already linked infrastructure work in east Picton to future growth in that area including the current Picton Main Street reconstruction project.

Not everyone is against the idea. Some people welcome the added convenience, say they like shopping at Shoppers Drug Mart, or point out that new businesses can bring jobs. These views are part of the conversation too, especially in a growing community where access to services matters.

At the same time, some of the strongest concerns, especially about pricing or the impact on small businesses - come from personal experience and uncertainty about the future. Many people feel Shoppers can be expensive, but it is not certain how this specific store will affect existing pharmacies. These are valid concerns, but they are not guaranteed outcomes.

One detail also deserves careful wording. Reports suggest  the store may include a company, a Pharmacy Care Clinic, which Shoppers does operate in Ontario. However, this feature does not appear in the publicly available county planning documents, so it should be seen as a company claim rather than something confirmed through municipal records.

In the end, this project reflects something bigger than one store opening. It shows the tension that often comes with growth. For some, it represents convenience and progress. For others, it raises concerns about losing the small-town feel and local focus that define Picton.

What do you think this project says about Picton’s future: useful growth, the wrong kind of growth, or something more complex?