Crews are building the foundation of what will be a key building in Skidegate — a new Haida Gwaii Co-op food store.
Local Co-op directors joined members of the Skidegate Band Council to dig into the site with golden shovels on Dec. 7, marking the real beginning of the 16,000 square-foot building.
“These folks helped make it all happen,” said Len Labossiere, general manager for the Haida Gwaii Co-op.
“It’s exciting now.”
Expected to open in July or August, the new food store just south of the Spirit Lake trailhead will be slightly larger than the one in Masset, with an outdoor seating area, cedar accents, and two 28-foot carved cedar poles at the entrance.
Calls have gone out to Haida carvers for the two panels, which will feature an Eagle and a Raven.
Related: New Skidegate Co-op is a go
Billy Yovanovich, chief councillor for Skidegate, said other businesses have shown interest in the surrounding site, and in the existing Haida Gwaii Co-op building up the road.
“Now that things have progressed and they see it coming to fruition — the sewer and water is already there, we’re working on the hydro — it’s ready for future development,” Yovanovich said.
Labossiere said he expects the steel structure of the new food store to start going up in mid-January, after which people will notice many more workers on site.
andrew.hudson@haidagwaiiobserver.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
