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People line up for free groceries and pancakes at the Save-On-Foods announcement on McPhillips Street Thursday. (STAN MILOSEVIC / CHRISD.CA)

Discount grocery chain Save-On-Foods is entering the Manitoba market with three Winnipeg locations.

Over the next five years, the Vancouver-based grocer will open 40 stores across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The expansion will create thousands of new jobs.

The company will open stores at Northgate Shopping Centre, St. James Station and at the Bridgwater Forest townsite in 2016.

Save-On-Foods will also open stores in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Moose Jaw.

The stores will be a combination of existing buildings and new construction, and will range from 40,000 to 65,000 square feet on average, depending on the market. The Northgate location on McPhillips Street will take over the former Zellers building.

Owned by Overwaitea Food Group, the grocer also partnered with Winnipeg Harvest to complete the city’s first online grocery order, which was delivered on Thursday.

Save-On-Foods has at least 10 more stores opening in B.C. and Alberta over the next 18 months.