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![\"JOHN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4631459_web1_261013_charm_hub_09.JPG\")
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JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Leilani Esteban-Villarba, executive director at Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corp., and Michael Onwuka, store manager, at CHARM Hub, a low-cost grocery store on Ottawa Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The distance makes it) harder to access, and especially hard to access for people who have mobility challenges or who are older,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to take a bus or take a cab or find transportation \u2026 and if you have children in strollers, it\u2019s even harder.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new store is an extension of the renewal corporation\u2019s BAG (\u201cBetter access to groceries\u201d) program, which offers registered participants low-cost fruits and vegetables every Tuesday. The program was launched in 2016 and now has more than 900 participants, Esteban-Villarba said.<\/p>\n
The renewal corporation has offered an additional program in recent months, BAG Plus, which gives recipients access to select pantry items along with their vegetables.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe realized that \u2026 there was a huge need for essential items being available throughout the week,\u201d Esteban-Villarba said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the renewal corporation purchased a two-storey building at the corner of Ottawa Avenue and Brazier Street for $500,000. CHARM (Chalmers Housing and Access to Resources and Meats) opened on the first floor on Oct. 6.<\/p>\n
The CHARM Hub offers food at a low cost through community partnerships, including with the Trevor and Hayley\u2019s No Frills store on Henderson Highway. <\/p>\n
The renewal corporation buys the items in bulk, often at a discount, and then sells them for what it paid. The customer ends up paying amounts equal to the sale prices in larger grocery stores, Esteban-Villarba said.<\/p>\n
The store is open to everyone, said Michael Onwuka, store manager. \u201cOur goal is to provide groceries as cheap as we can for anyone who lives in the area or anyone who needs to save money.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CHARM Hub has opened at a time when Canadians are spending nearly 30 per cent more on groceries than they did seven years ago.<\/p>\n
According to an RBC report published in August, average annual spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages rose from just under $7,400 in 2019 to around $9,600 \u2014 about $180 per month. Over that same period, average household disposable income increased roughly $23,000, or about $1,900 a month.<\/p>\n
Still, food costs are a much greater burden for lowest-income Canadian households, the report noted, with food and non-alcoholic beverage spending accounting for nearly one-quarter of their disposable income. Average disposable income growth for households in the lowest income quintile has also been lower, up $7,300 between 2019 and 2025.<\/p>\n
The response to the CHARM Hub over the last week has been positive, Onwuka said. \u201cPeople tell us they like what we\u2019re trying to do and that they will support us as much as they can.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The renewal corporation is continually assessing the community\u2019s needs and it is open to recommendations for improving the CHARM Hub, Esteban-Villarba added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew we needed to open so we did, despite the fact that our shelves are not completely full,\u201d she said. \u201cThey will get fuller as the days go by.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CHARM Hub is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
The renewal corporation plans to add additional services to the building in the coming months, Esteban-Villarba said, including housing resources.<\/p>\n
aaron.epp@winnipegfreepress.com<\/p>\n
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Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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