Valerie G. Barnes Connell Jordan
Daily Herald
After years of planning, Shoal Lake Cree Nation broke ground for a new $5.6 million MiniMall and gas bar complex, Wed. Sept. 24, according to a Shoal Lake Cree Nation news release.
“The project has been a long time coming, with years of planning to ensure it belongs to our people,” Chief Marcel Head said. “It represents progress, opportunity and essential services right here at home … Millions of dollars leave our community each year for basic needs –this development keeps those dollars here, supports our path to self sufficiency, and creates jobs in business, retail, administration and trades.
“It is a proud moment for our Nation, and we look forward to opening the doors in the spring of 2026.”
Work for the project began in 2022 with planning and feasibility studies. Steps included “engineering, environmental and architectural studies, a land designation referendum, head lease and a new government framework” to bring the project along to the current stage,” according to the news release.
Funding for the project includes a $2 million Indigenous Services Canada investment, “with the balance supported through bridge and loan financing from Peace Hills Trust SEKO Construction, [which] has been contracted to lead the build, with Priority Solutions Consulting providing ongoing support,” according to the news release.
A Swampy Cree community, Shoal Lake Cree Nation is located between Nipawin and the Manitoba border within Treaty 5 territory within east central Saskatchewan and has 1,116 members.
“Shoal Lake invests in infrastructure, health, education and economic development while maintaining its language, culture and traditional practices,” reads the news release.
“Recreating the mall has been a dream of mine ever since our first grocery store stood here decades ago,” Community Consultant Charles Whitecap, said of the project.
Whitecap said the original grocery store gave community members a sense of ownership and he foresees the new entity strengthening the community and bringing more opportunities to future generations. .
“To see this vision come back to life after so much planning and determination fills me with gratitude,” he said.
SEKO Construction vice president, Peter Shoulak, says he’s “excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work” on the project,” which he foresees as bringing benefits to the community in near and distant future.
“Step by step we will deliver a facility that reflects the vision of Shoal Lake Cree Nation,” he is quoted as saying in the news release.
With the groundbreaking ceremony, construction of the MiniMall and gas bar are now under construction and at the beginning of a project that is a “major step in our community’s long-term economic development strategy,” with multiple benefits, such as job creation, increased revenue and “much needed retail services, close to home.”
The facility is expected to open in the spring of 2026.
