Chief Erma Merasty joined council members, elders, dignitaries and community members on October 16 to celebrate the grand opening of the Shoal Lake Cree Nation Mini Mall and Gas Bar in east-central Saskatchewan, according to Indigenous Services Canada. The $6-million project, which received $2 million in federal funding, brings essential goods, services and fuel directly into the community of just over 1,110 people.
The hub includes a mini mall, a four-pump gas bar offering gasoline and diesel, grocery and convenience retail, food services, storage and office space. For a nation located 92 kilometres east of Nipawin and 241 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, having those services close to home is a significant change, eliminating long drives for everyday necessities.
"This is the first of many good things to come for our nation," Chief Merasty said in the federal announcement. "This business is an opportunity for us to build our own source of revenue, and it will bring employment and training opportunities to our membership, particularly our youth."
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty congratulated the nation, saying the opening means better access to essential goods and services, new jobs and more economic opportunities right in the community. The project is part of a broader, multi-phase community hub that will also host formal and informal community gatherings.
According to the federal release, the mini mall and gas bar are expected to create local training and employment while laying the groundwork for a more self-sufficient future. For Shoal Lake Cree Nation, the celebration marked not just a new building but a step toward economic independence on its own terms.
According to the federal announcement, the gas bar and mini mall form part of a multi-phase community hub that will also host formal and informal gatherings. For nation members who previously drove long distances for groceries and fuel, the project puts everyday necessities minutes away, and leaders say it is the first of many economic developments to come.