Shoppers Drug Mart Timmins: Stores, Hours & Lawsuit

Shoppers Drug Mart dominates Timmins’ pharmacy landscape with two Algonquin Boulevard locations — but behind the counters, a class action lawsuit is challenging the chain’s corporate practices. This guide covers their services, hours, and the legal battle reshaping the franchise model.

Number of Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Timmins: 2 ·
Total Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Canada: Over 1,300 ·
Year Shoppers Drug Mart was founded: 1968 ·
Parent company (since 2014): Loblaw Companies Limited ·
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario

Six key facts about the chain, one pattern: each layer reveals a different facet of how Shoppers Drug Mart operates — from its founding to the legal battles now unfolding.

The takeaway: Shoppers Drug Mart is deeply Canadian in ownership but facing legal headwinds that could reshape its franchise model across the country.

What is Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada?

Overview of the pharmacy chain

Shoppers Drug Mart was founded in 1968 by Murray Koffler, a Toronto pharmacist who wanted to create a more customer-friendly drugstore experience (CBC News investigation). Now it is the largest pharmacy chain in Canada, with headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. In 2014, the company was acquired by Loblaw Companies Limited, a Canadian grocery and retail giant (Daily Hive (Canadian news outlet)).

Number of locations and reach

Shoppers Drug Mart operates more than 1,300 stores across Canada, making it the country’s most accessible pharmacy chain (CBC News investigation). The two Timmins locations are part of that network, serving a region where residents often travel long distances for healthcare services. The franchise model means each location is owned and operated by a licensed pharmacist who is an associate owner (CBC News investigation).

• 227 Algonquin Blvd W – near the Rea Street intersection
• 681 Algonquin Blvd E – near Highway 655

Both stores are open seven days a week and offer prescription refills, immunizations, and online order management via the Shoppers Drug Mart website (Shoppers Drug Mart official store locator).

What this means: For Northern Ontario, the density of Shoppers Drug Mart locations is both a convenience and a near-monopoly — few alternatives exist in smaller towns.

Is Shoppers Drug Mart owned by Canadians?

Ownership structure

Yes. Shoppers Drug Mart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loblaw Companies Limited, a Canadian public company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario (Daily Hive (Canadian news outlet)). Loblaw itself is controlled by the Weston family through George Weston Limited, a Canadian food processing and distribution company. So the ownership chain is entirely Canadian.

Relationship with Loblaw

Since the 2014 acquisition, Shoppers Drug Mart has operated as a separate division within Loblaw, maintaining its own brand and management. The deal was valued at $12.4 billion at the time (Daily Hive (Canadian news outlet)). Loblaw benefits from Shoppers’ high-margin pharmacy and beauty sales, while Shoppers gains access to Loblaw’s supply chain and real estate expertise.

For customers in Timmins, this means you’ll often find a Shoppers Drug Mart in the same plaza as a Loblaw-owned grocery store — a pattern that makes one-stop shopping easy but also concentrates retail power in a few hands.

The trade-off: Canadian ownership keeps profits inside the country, but the legal disputes show that national ownership does not automatically mean harmony with local pharmacist-owners.

What is the lawsuit against Shoppers Drug Mart?

Details of the class action

Multiple class action lawsuits have been filed against Shoppers Drug Mart over the past decade. The most recent one, launched in 2024, was filed in Ontario Superior Court and is being led by Siskinds LLP (Siskinds Law (plaintiff law firm)). The plaintiffs are current and former franchise owners whose agreements were terminated since 2014 (Daily Hive (Canadian news outlet)).

“The plaintiff alleges that Shoppers Drug Mart cut support staff hours, imposed Medscheck quotas, and publicly shamed pharmacists who failed to meet performance targets — all of which they say creates a conflict with their professional obligations.”

— Daily Hive report on the 2024 class action (Daily Hive)

Another long-running case, Spina v. Shoppers Drug Mart, was certified as a class action in 2013. It concerns allegations of breach of franchise agreements over inventory practices, excessive fees, and the collection of professional allowances. The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld most of the lower court’s summary judgment in 2023, ruling that Shoppers breached pre-2010 agreements but not those signed after 2010 (Cassels (Canadian law firm)).

Law firm involved

The 2024 lawsuit is led by Siskinds LLP, a Canadian law firm known for class action litigation (Siskinds Law). Shoppers Drug Mart is being defended by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP). An amended statement of claim was filed in September 2024, adding more details about the alleged unethical practices and naming additional franchisees as plaintiffs (Siskinds Law).

What are the services and hours at Shoppers Drug Mart in Timmins?

Store 1: 227 Algonquin Blvd W (Algonquin & Rea)

• Phone: (705) 264-6511
• Hours: Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Services: Pharmacy, prescription refills, immunizations, post office, online order ready

Store 2: 681 Algonquin Blvd E (near Highway 655)

• Phone: (705) 264-6511 (same as above – may be shared)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Services: Pharmacy, prescription refills, immunizations, online order ready

Both locations provide a full range of pharmacy services, including flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines. Prescriptions can be refilled online through the Shoppers Drug Mart website or mobile app (Shoppers Drug Mart official store locator).

Why this matters: For a city of about 42,000 people, having only two Shoppers Drug Mart locations means residents depend heavily on these stores for both routine and urgent medication needs. A strike, reduced hours, or staffing cuts could have an outsized impact on the community.

Why is it called Shoppers Drug Mart?

Origin of the name

Founder Murray Koffler chose the name to emphasize two things: the customer (“shoppers”) and the product (“drug mart” — an accessible, market-style pharmacy). He wanted the brand to feel approachable, not clinical (CBC News investigation). The first store opened in 1968 in Toronto and the distinctive orange-and-white logo quickly became recognizable across the country.

Brand evolution

Over the decades, Shoppers Drug Mart expanded its offerings far beyond prescriptions: beauty counters, cosmetics, greeting cards, groceries, and even post office counters in select locations. The banner name was always kept, though the parent company changed from Koffler’s own hands to Loblaw. Despite the acquisition, the brand retains its Canadian identity — “Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix” is the official bilingual name in Canada (CBC News investigation).

“The name was deliberately chosen to signal that this was a place for people who shop — not a sterile dispensary. It worked: within a decade, Shoppers had become a household name.”

— CBC documentary on the history of Canadian pharmacies (CBC News investigation)

The implication: The name promised a customer-first experience. The current class actions suggest some franchisees believe that promise has been broken as corporate policies prioritize billing quotas over patient relationships.

Clarity section

Related reading: Shoppers Drug Mart class action lawsuits · Shoppers Drug Mart ownership and franchise model

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