24-hour Canada

[hired_goons]

Outside of the obvious gas stations, fast food and 7-Eleven type operations, what businesses in your area are open 24 hours?

Where I live in Chilliwack, BC there is nothing outside of the above exceptions. In fact most of the Tim Horton's close at midnight!

30km down the freeway in Abbotsford there is a 24-hour Shoppers Drug Mart.

Years ago Vancouver had a 24-hour Home Depot but that did not last long.

[TorontoDrew]

2 24hr A&W's just opened up with 1.5 km of my front door. We went from almost none in the inner city to them springing up like weeds. I'm gonna get fat if I dont watch out.

As large as Toronto is there really arent too many 24 options. I suppose it all depends on what you are used to.

[megadude]

Wow 24 hours HD sounds odd. I thought the Canadian Tire in Burlington that closes at 10 on Sunday was odd.

Ya I think most medium sized cities and up around the GTA have at least one 24 hours Shoppers. And some grocery stores. And Hortons.

Now the surprising ones for me are up in Penetanguishene, ten minutes from the cottage. I assumed nothing was open late but was pleasantly surprised by 24 hour Hortons and Foodland grocery store.

[vid]

The number of 24/7 options has been declining in Thunder Bay, especially in the past couple months, likely due to the minimum wage increase and low sales to support it. Currently we've got a couple 24/7 Mac's/Circle Ks (which ones are 24/7 varies from month to month which is kind of annoying), one 24/7 Shoppers Drug Mart (used to have 3, but two stopped staying open at night), two 24/7 Metro grocery stores, about half of the Tims Horton (used to be more of them, and their overnight selections are bare-bones) and a couple Robin's Donuts (used to be all of them), a couple of the Shell gas stations had a Subway restaurant affiliated with them which would operate 24/7 but those are gone. Mr. Sub recently ended its 24/7 service. McDonald's and A&W have 24/7 drive through service, 3 and 2 locations respectively. A couple gas stations are 24/7. The hospital and police station are 24/7. I think Pizza Hut or some other pizza delivery company here had 24/7 delivery until about 10 years ago. We have a 24/7 bakery/pizzeria downtown that's quite popular but they don't deliver.

I got really annoyed when I was in Winnipeg in 2012 because not only does that city somehow have fewer 24/7 options than Thunder Bay, but they also keep shit closed until noon on Sundays.

I think the main reason we have so many 24/7 options (and the reason they were so common in the part of town I grew up, near the highway) is because we're basically the only place for travellers to stop in the region, so people are more likely to stop in to businesses here between midnight and 6am than in other places.

A few stores have tried 24/7. Not Home Depot, but Walmart and Superstore both experimented with it on year for about 2 months leading up to Christmas (last year, neither stayed open after 12am leading up to Christmas; probably due to low sales in previous years). The Chinese restaurant across the street from me used to stay open until 2 or 3 in the morning but lately they've barely opened at all.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by vid

I got really annoyed when I was in Winnipeg in 2012 because not only does that city somehow have fewer 24/7 options than Thunder Bay, but they also keep shit closed until noon on Sundays.

That changed a couple of years ago, things open earlier on Sundays now, often around 9 for things like supermarkets.

But yeah, Winnipeg is not really a big 24 hour city. We have a fairly minimal lineup of 24 hour restaurants, drug stores, gas stations and such. Beyond Tim's, McDonald's and Perkins type places, I'm not sure what else is even open 24 hours.

[Acajack]

In Gatineau the Casino du Lac Leamy is open 24 hours.

Aside from that various fast food places gas stations and corner stores. Some full restaurants too.

[MonctonRad]

The hospital where i work in Moncton (myself included when I am on call).

[vid]

I forgot about our Casino. It closes a couple times a week in the early morning hours for cleaning but otherwise is open 24/7.

[Loco101]

In Timmins, ON we used to have a number of 24 hour things but there are very few left. Mainly to due businesses having trouble finding employees.

One Shoppers Drug Mart location.

Up until last year the Metro and Foodland grocery stores were 24 hours. Even Walmart was at one point but not any more. We used to have a couple 24h truck stops with restaurants but not anymore.

Just convenience stores and our many Tim Hortons locations. No fast food places here including drive-thrus because again, businesses can't get enough employees.

[Capsicum]

When I first moved to the US to work, as a Canadian, one thing that really surprised me was how common 24-hour stores and businesses were stateside.

I remember thinking how odd it was upon seeing that a small town (tens of thousands of people) Walmart in the US was 24-hour when a Walmart in Toronto, or any Canadian city over a million people would not be.

[Rico Rommheim]

In the Parc-Extension neighbourhood of Montreal where I now reside, the only 24 hr place is the Greek souvlaki joint called Miss Jean-Talon, a few min walk down the street. Decent burgers, poutine and souvlakis of course, but painfully slow service even in the dead of night.

Otherwise the McShit's and Tims on Jean-Talon are also open 24/7. I never go though. I believe the gas station on l'Acadie and Birnam is also open 24/7.

And also there's Hamza Fruits right across the street from parc metro that's 24/7 should you ever need light groceries.

[north 42]

Caesars Windsor is the big one that stays open 24 hours, also a couple of Shoppers Drug Marts and the two Duty Free Shops.

[SignalHillHiker]

Celtic Hearth (pub/restaurant on Water Street) is open 24 hours. Some superettes are. I read recently that Stockwood's superette, which is closing for good soon, was the very first 24-hour business of any kind in the city. Walmarts are open 24 hours. There are things open in the overnight that arent during the day - after hours clubs as the like.

[kwoldtimer]

In Ottawa, there are a dozen or so restaurants/diners open round the clock. Also a couple of gyms, a handful or drug stores, and one or two vets/animal hospitals. There's also a number of emergency services available 24/7, like plumbing, furnace repair, and towing.

[GernB]

In Lethbridge there are just a few gas stations; PetroCan and Shell come to mind. As well there are the ubiquitous 7/11 stores and a local variant of same called Green's, and a couple of McDonald's.

[MolsonExport]

numerous Rim Whoreton's are discontinuing 24-hour service. Probably on account of the minimum wage hike.

my gym also discontinued 24-hour access.

[MolsonExport]

East Asia is the best for 24-hour life. Stores open super late, 24 hour restaurants galore, bars open until way past the wee hours of the morning, some subway lines never shut...heaven for night owls.

[trebor204]

In Winnipeg, there is a Wal-Mart (only one in Canada?) that is open 24-hours. However because of Sunday shopping rules, it is open only for 9 hours on Sunday.

[WhipperSnapper]

I find the 24 hour store peaked about 10 years ago and has been in decline ever since. Back then, there was a 24 hour home depot and all three local grocery stores were 24 hours. Now, none of them are. Stores in general are open longer than they were back then though.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by trebor204

In Winnipeg, there is a Wal-Mart (only one in Canada?) that is open 24-hours. However because of Sunday shopping rules, it is open only for 9 hours on Sunday.

I didn't know that the north Winnipeg Walmart was open 24 hours on a permanent basis. But that place is busy, the last time I was there was around 10 pm on a Friday night in the summer a few years ago and I could not believe how crowded it was, including families with small children and all.

I can't imagine what kind of situation would lead me to bring my kids into a Walmart at 10 pm...

That said, it is interesting (as someone else pointed out) that even large Canadian cities have a fairly minimal selection of things open 24 hours compared to what they have in the US. I'd wager that Fargo-Moorhead, pop. 234,000, has far more establishments open 24 hours than Winnipeg does.