The Sandy Bay General Store has been closed since late September creating a shortage of retail gas supply in the community.
The closure of the pumps has forced the local RCMP and regional health authority to purchase their own gas tanks for fleet vehicles.
It is also forcing local residents to travel all the way to Pelican Narrows to purchase gas and groceries.
Melanie Beal, director of primary care nursing for the health authority, says having no store in the community could cause a ripple effect.
“People need food and if we are not meeting those needs then different ailments and nutritional needs may arise,” she says. “It affects everyone’s health definitely.”
Pelican Narrows is 70 kilometres away from Sandy Bay.