Heritage to face licence loss on Canadian border?

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One of Canadian duty-free's largest border store operators, Heritage Duty Free, faces the possible loss of its licence when its land lease on the Douglas crossing to the US expires on December 31 this year. Heritage has failed to agree renewed terms with landowner the Semiahmoo First Nation Indian band. Rival Pacific coast operator West Coast Duty Free could be in pole position to take over after winning a tender for the land lease.

Indeed, press reports from Canada suggest that West Coast will take over the licence from next year. But West Coast would still have to apply for a duty-free licence from the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, which has told DFNI the case is still open.
"We are still in discussions with the incumbent operator, and they have until December 31 to provide us with an alternative," said the agency's duty-free shop programme chief Raymond Bedard. "They may yet retain their licence."

DFNI understands that if Heritage can find an appropriate site at the Douglas crossing, it may well keep the business. Only one duty-free licence per border crossing is issued in Canada. But if Heritage fails to find an alternative, the licence would be put to open tender. Bedard said West Coast could then have the advantage by already having a prime site secured. But he insisted that nothing was decided.
The Heritage Duty Free site has been operated by the Savage family for the past 20 years. Chris Savage told DFNI: "This is something we are fighting. For the most part we are looking after our staff's interests, whether that is served by being in this site or elsewhere. There are still a lot of possibilities out there."

Further details will appear in the November 1 issue of DFNI.