The CAA store on Great Northern Road in Sault Ste. Marie will permanently close on Oct. 22, becoming the latest in a string of closures the auto club and travel agency has carried out across Ontario this year.
According to a notice posted on CAA’s website, the organization made what it called a difficult decision to shut the Sault Ste. Marie location. The company said it would continue to serve members in the area through its call centre and online at caasco.ca.
Nine CAA South Central Ontario locations have already closed in 2026. With planned closures in Sault Ste. Marie, Oshawa, Barrie and Newmarket still to come, the total number of shutdowns for the year will climb past a dozen. Other communities that have already lost their CAA storefronts this year include Belleville, Markham, Leamington, Windsor, Orillia, St. Thomas, Simcoe, Owen Sound and Brampton.
Jobs Affected, Numbers Unclear
Local reporting confirmed that jobs will be eliminated when the Sault Ste. Marie store closes, though it remains unclear how many employees will be affected or whether all local positions will be cut. CAA did not answer questions about job losses in Sault Ste. Marie or at its other shuttered locations, and it similarly declined to respond to comparable questions from journalists in other affected communities.
Company Points to Shifting Member Habits
In a statement, CAA external communications specialist Olivia Hodgkiss said the closure reflects what she described as the broader evolution of the retail landscape, with members increasingly choosing digital and remote service options over visiting physical storefronts.
Hodgkiss said members in Sault Ste. Marie would still be able to access the full range of CAA services by phone or online once the store closes, and that the organization’s commitment to supporting members remains unchanged. She also thanked the Sault Ste. Marie community for what she called years of loyalty, trust and support, saying CAA was grateful for the relationships built there over time.
Hodgkiss added that the organization remains focused on delivering convenient, accessible and high-quality service to members in whatever ways they prefer, as it continues adjusting its operations amid the shift away from in-person retail visits.
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