Temporary grocery store to open today after Shamattawa fire, North West Company says

The North West Company says it plans to have a temporary grocery store open to the people of Shamattawa Monday after the remote First Nation's only grocery store burned down last week.

"We want to ensure that the community members have access to those items that they need," saidDerek Reimer, North West Companydirector of business development.

The Northern Storein Shamattawa, located about 750 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, was destroyed in a fire Thursday. A 12-year-old boy, oneof six children RCMP believe were involved in setting the blaze, was arrested and is facing charges.

• Boy, 12, arrested in Shamattawa fire, but younger kids can't be charged, police say
• 'RCMP should not criminalize' boy, 12, accused in Shamattawa fire, chief says

Shamattawa Chief Jeffrey Napaokesikissued a state of emergencyafter the fire, as the community reliedon the storefor food, water, diapers, baby formula and other essential items.

Reimersaid thecompany has arranged to set up a temporary grocery store in an abandoned school gym in the community. The selection will be limited to 90 different items for the time being, including evaporated milk, canned goods and produce.

Napaokesik said he is grateful for the support and donations the northern community of about 1,500continues to receive.

"It's overwhelming the feeling we're getting here right now,"Napaokesik said.

Donation drives have popped up all across Manitoba, including in Gillam, Thompson and Cross Lake First Nation.

Winnipeggers dropped off diapers and other high-priority items in the North End on Friday, andthe Co-op store inWinklerhas alreadysent27 boxes of food north, according to Napaokesik.

"There is avery good reply, just to know that we're not all alone way up here in northeastern Manitoba,"he said.

TheCanadian Red Cross and Indigenousand Northern Affairs Canada have also been very helpful, Napaokesik says,as has Perimeter Airlines, which has been flying in the donations free of charge.

Staff fromthe Northern Store have been distributing the non-perishable donations in bags forcommunity members to pick up at the old school gymnasium.

Craving bannock

One item people arereally starting to crave is bannock.

"It's the old diet for us,"Napaokesik said.

"It was asked of me so many times here in the community. We want flour and all the ingredients to make frybread. We're trying to put things back to normal and this is one of the things they want to see here in our community."

I just want things back to normal. The loss that we just had, it affects everyone.- JeffreyNapaokesik

A spokesperson with the CanadianRed Cross said a shipment with bannock ingredients was scheduled to arrive over the weekend.

Napaokesik said he believes some of the shipments from Perimeter Airlines are getting jammed up in Winnipeg or Thompson and have not arrived.

"We need those donations to arrive smoothly. If they're in Thompson and Winnipeg, they're no good to our people," he said, adding he wants the airline to start sending bigger planes to accommodate the growing need for supplies.

"They're shipping this stuff free of charge, allthe donations that are coming in, but they need to do more. Ship all the stuff there that's needed here now."

The Shamattawaband office was also destroyed in the fire.Napaokesiksaid bandofficialswill also temporarilyset up shop and work out ofthe abandoned building, which he says was condemned due toasbestos and mould.

There isn'tanymoney available immediately to build a newstore or band office, Napaokesik said,but he hopes thatwill change when insurance money comes in for the buildings lost in the fire.

"It's too bad that we lost both of our buildings, the band office, the business centre of the community and the only grocery store in Shamattawa," he said."I just want things back to normal. The loss that we just had, it affects everyone."

An onlineGoFundMecampaign for Shamattawawas launched Sunday.