Kingfisher on path to ‘self-sustainability’

The significance of a new community store opening is different wherever you go – a new store in Toronto isn’t going to change the economic backdrop. Travel towards northwestern Ontario on the other hand, where residents of Kingfisher Lake First Nation came together in droves to celebrate the grand opening of the new Omahamo Store. It’s kind of a big deal.
The Omahamo store has been a big part of Kingfisher Lake since the 80’s and was recently upgraded to better serve the community.
“This store is a vital structure, a vital business in the community – it provides food and employment for the community,” said Kingfisher Lake Chief James Mamakwa.
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 31, community members crowded into the newly opened store. Mamakwa said the facility will help the community as they pave their way to complete self-sustainability.
Kingfisher Lake had financial support from the government, but one of their biggest contributors was Northern Heritage Funding.
“We got about a million dollars in funding, and we received some support from the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs,” said Mamakwa.
Kingfisher Socio-Economic Development Corporation (SED) is situated in Kingfisher Lake, with Isaac Sainnawap at its head. The company is a non-profit corporation belonging to and serving the needs of Kingfisher Lake.
“With the old store, we basically ran into a situation where it was no longer able to accommodate the needs of our community – it was built over thirty years ago,” said Sainnawap.
Sainnawap said the new state-of-the-art facility could potentially bring in members of different communities, increasing community revenue.
Donna Brunton, a professional planner and project manager for Shibogama First Nation Council, held a very involved role in making the store a possibility. She worked with Kingfisher Lake chief and band council and Hez Sakakeep, a First Nation band administrator and project manager for the First Nation on getting the store up and running.
“It takes a lot of people, a lot of energy, and a lot of effort to make these types of facilities happen,” said Brunton.
Before the new store opened, community members sometimes had to wait a week before a shipment of essential goods came in.
“It’s sad when you don’t have enough refrigeration to supply milk to your people. It’s not acceptable,” said Brunton.
She said the new store has all the tools necessary to keep goods fresh and safe – something the old store lacked.
“We’ve been running this store as a First Nation business for thirty years, and having this store now shows the determination of our people and that we mean business,” said Sakakeep.
The store sits by the Kingfisher Lake band office, water treatment plant, and the Omahamo Hotel and Restaurant.