By Jane Wilson–Bargain-hunting islanders will be relieved to learn that Fields in Masset may not close after all.A newly-formed company is negotiating to buy the leases on 37 Fields locations, said Tiffany Bourre, external communications manager for the Hudson’s Bay Company, Fields’ parent. The Masset location is included in those 37, and so may be spared after all.The HBC expanded the chain through 2006 to 2008, but announced last December that it would close all 167 branches this year. At the time, the reason given was that HBC was focusing on its Home Outfitters, The Bay and Lord & Taylor banners instead.The tentative agreement to buy the leases has been reached with FHC Enterprises, formed by Jason MacDougal, a Vancouver businessman and owner of the McFrougals Discount Outlet. Ms Bourre says more information may be available soon.The news will come as a relief to the 60 people who have joined the “Save Fields in Masset” facebook site, the seven on-island employees of the Masset store and many customers of the discount business, which has been in operation on the island since the 1970s.
