Entrevue avec Alain Bouchard

Yes, indeed. We observed what happened in Denmark, Norway, and Ireland. We prepared. When we saw what was happening over there while here people were optimistic, thinking it would be minor, based on what we saw in Europe, we thought it would arrive here and be more serious. So we stockpiled two tractor-trailers of Purell, masks, etc.

But even with those precautions, it wasn't enough.

I had to go see for myself what was really happening on the ground. We always listen to what our people tell us. There was too much talk—I remember well, in February, we thought it would be less serious. So we weren't as well prepared as we should have been.

Our employees and we already knew the directives were clear: disinfect, put up plexiglass protective barriers. We supported all sorts of initiatives—wrapping products, for example. We also quickly launched an initiative for our employees: we raised wages by 50 cents per hour across North America. And an initiative for healthcare workers—presently, from the first days, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers get free coffee and tea, free beverages.

No, no, it's a temporary initiative. I had a discussion with the executive team about it, but no. It's already an enormous cost for us, especially since wages are rising everywhere. If it were an industry-wide initiative, yes, I would tell you we'd be part of it. But obviously there would be adjustments to margins and to our way of operating.

No, we're not operating at a loss, but we are considerably affected. What's affecting us right now is the downturn you mentioned at the beginning—the drop in volume is enormous, especially for fuel. But the margin is much higher, particularly in the United States. In Canada, the margin is the same, the dynamic is different. But in the U.S., the margin is higher, which allows us to compensate in part. And store sales are doing well. Yes, stores are doing well because almost everything else is closed, so many more people come to us.

Yes, larger format. Customers come less often but buy more.

Not rush. Looking at the economic models for reopening, we're talking about a longer-term view. I see... although if we find a medication quickly, things could improve. But we have to open slowly. However, we do have to open. We have to open normally where we have clear indications.

I think we can open. We can open in certain provinces in Canada. We can open in certain regions in Quebec. A little at a time, perhaps not everywhere at once in a region, but we can open. If we keep everything closed longer, we affect the economy longer. We're going to lose—my entrepreneur friends who are really on the edge of the abyss. If we don't hurry up, it will be too late.

Listen, it's very difficult right now to give advice in current conditions. I would say: try to save what you can. Try to keep your employees and pay them. Often the good decisions are the ones made right at the start. We did not lay anyone off. I don't think closing the stores would have—we didn't want to lose our people. Making very, very difficult decisions right now to save what you can, because if you don't make them now, unfortunately they'll be waiting until the economy reopens.

Yes, yes, I think the governments are doing very well. We're seeing decisions made on a scale never seen before. Some decisions are better than others, but overall, I'm very, very satisfied with the provincial governments in general. Our elected officials are working hard and making exceptional efforts. We can see they've been working hard. As far as I'm concerned, the lesson to be learned is about our seniors, with the CHSLD stories and those of nursing homes in general. We need to draw big lessons from this. I think the great illness we have is centralization. Unfortunately, it's not a remedy, it's the problem. When you give too much centralized power in hands that are far from where events are happening, the service isn't delivered as it should be. That's what we're seeing today.

If you had the same bureaucrats making decisions in Quebec or elsewhere, but centralized and far from the ground—move them, make them responsible on the ground, let them feel what needs to be done. Whereas now, everything is centralized. Decisions are made in offices with good faith, but they don't have what they need to make the right decisions. And that's what happened.