SHOAL LAKE CREE NATION, TREATY 5 TERRITORY, SK, Oct. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, Chief Erma Merasty of the Shoal Lake Cree Nation, along with Council, Elders, dignitaries, and community members, celebrated the opening of the Shoal Lake Cree Nation Mini Mall and Gas Bar.

The new mall and gas bar will provide greater access to essential goods, services, and fuel within the community, while also creating local training, employment, and new business opportunities. Indigenous-led economic development projects like this help build stronger communities and lay the groundwork for a more self-sufficient future.

The total cost to plan, design, and construct the mall and gas bar was $6 million, with $2 million provided by Indigenous Services Canada.

Quotes

"This is the first of many good things to come for our nation. Let's continue our good work. This business is an opportunity for us to build our own source revenue, and it will bring employment and training opportunities to our membership, particularly our youth."

Chief Erma Merasty
Shoal Lake Cree Nation

"The opening of the Shoal Lake Cree Nation Mini Mall and Gas Bar is about more than new infrastructure. It means better access to essential goods and services, new jobs, and more economic opportunities right in the community. Our government is proud to support projects like this that help First Nations build stronger local economies and create opportunities for future generations. Congratulations to Chief Merasty and Shoal Lake Cree Nation on bringing this project to life."

The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty
Minister of Indigenous Services

"Congratulations to the Shoal Lake Cree Nation community and Chief Erma Merasty on this exciting milestone. In northern Saskatchewan, where people sometimes have to travel long distances for everyday essentials, projects like this make a real difference. They bring services closer to home and bring more jobs and economic opportunities into our communities. I'm proud that our government contributed $2 million in federal funding to help Shoal Lake Cree Nation bring this important local and regional project to life."

The Honourable Buckley Belanger
Secretary of State for Rural Development

Quick facts

• The hub includes a mini mall and a four-pump gas bar, grocery and convenience retail, food services, storage and office space, as well as gasoline and diesel fuel services.
• The Shoal Lake Cree Nation Mini Mall and Gas Bar is part of a broader, multi-phased community hub that will host a range of formal and informal community gatherings.
• Shoal Lake Cree Nation is situated in east-central Saskatchewan, 92 kilometres east of Nipawin, 60 kilometres west of the Manitoba border, and 241 kilometres north-east of Prince Albert.
• The population of Shoal Lake Cree Nation is just over 1,110.

Associated links

Shoal Lake Cree Nation
Community Opportunities Readiness Program

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada