There was a marked difference in Mel Boutilier’s voice yesterday.
On Tuesday, the Order of Canada recipient was facing the possibility of closing the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank as early as next week.
But yesterday, after receiving a truckload of food and supplies from an Allied Reclamation warehouse in Dartmouth, it looks like Parker Street’s doors will stay open.
Boutilier, the food bank’s executive director, said he received a call early yesterday from two Sobeys representatives. They informed Boutilier the decision to deal exclusively with Feed Nova Scotia — and not the independent Parker Street — was due to “miscommunication,” and had been remedied.
“We were really saddened and not knowing where to turn when all this happened,” Boutilier said.
The trouble started earlier this month, when Parker Street heard from third-party sources that Allied, which supplies about 80 per cent of the food bank’s stocks, had cut it off.
Staff at Allied Reclamation confirmed early yesterday morning they were under orders not to give Parker Street any Sobeys products.
But Boutilier was assured the miscommunication had been cleared up. He sent a truck to the Allied warehouse, and it returned full.
“It’s a great relief for us,” said Boutilier.
The resolution came just in time, Boutilier said — when staff took inventory of their remaining supplies yesterday, they had about seven days’ worth left.
A representative from Sobeys did not respond to interview requests yesterday.
