Wollaston Lake Arena To Be New Community Store
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 13:19
The residents of Wollaston Lake have come up with a plan to deal with the sudden loss of their only grocery store and postal outlet.
Fire destroyed both facilities this past Saturday.
Band spokesperson Rosalie Tsannie-Burseth says the band will use insurance money to rebuild the store. But in the meantime, a temporary store will be set up at an arena.
All of the community’s mail will be directed there, as well.
Tsannie-Burseth says the old store had just received a shipment of fresh produce the day of the fire. She says it will be another three or four days before a new order of fresh produce comes in by air, since the ice road to the remote community is now closed.
Tsannie-Burseth says people on social assistance will definitely feel a crunch over the next few days.
However, she says her community’s reliance on game and fish will help it pull through.
Tsannie-Burseth notes the site of the fire is still smouldering, and she’s asking parents to keep a close eye on their children until the debris is cleaned up today or tomorrow.